


100 Ways

by Pollarize



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Angst, Crack, F/M, Fire, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Smut, M/M, McDonald's, Michigan, Pencil, Please Forgive me, Scat, Shitty Puns, Smut, Tacos, anyone who reads this:, but just be mindful, get yourself help, i dont exactly go too in depth on it, i guess if gore bothers you then be careful, i hate myself too, im so sorry, jet ski, please read it, this is awful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-07-29 16:38:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 42
Words: 22,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7691839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pollarize/pseuds/Pollarize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Wouldn't it be funny if ,,,"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this began after I saw Twenty One Pilots in Portland at Moda Center. My little sister gave me the idea to write it and it may or may not have spun out of control.
> 
> Since I am a decent human being, I can't take all the credit. I need to give thanks to Linden for the idea and helping a lot with the content as well as Tara, Andrea, Brynn, and Brynn's Mother. An extra special thanks to Brynn, please get yourself some help.
> 
> Also to the tumblr users [prettyheathen](prettyheathen.tumblr.com), [whimsybrain](whimsybrain.tumblr.com), [bulletproofatbest](bulletproofatbest.tumblr.com), and a couple anons.

Tyler always had a huge sense of pride. It didn’t matter if there was twelve people in the audience or he sold out the venue. If he could get one person to clap then that was a victory in and of itself. He was always proud and tonight was no different. Tyler was standing on stage, staring out at the sea of people who’d come to see him. They were screaming his words back to him, an understanding of things that he’d felt for years. 

 

Because of this, he gave the shows his all. That was another thing that hadn’t changed since the start but it just grew bigger and better. It was more than just screaming the lyrics and feeling the words, now it was theatrics. He captivated the audience by jumping off his piano, dancing across the stage, standing on top of them. They ate it up and Tyler wouldn’t stop.

 

His favorite stunt quickly became climbing. There was a thrill in the way his feet sometimes slipped, the way his hands still shook. He felt invincible when he was on top of the world, staring down at a sea of fans. They all stared at him expectantly, grins on their faces. He was mirroring that grin. There was so much adrenaline and power and that thrill, itching the back of his mind. It was a great feeling. 

 

He let go of the structure and waved his hand at the crowd, in time to the beat of his song, the crowd doing the same. He reached back over and held on, regaining his balance again.

 

There was a lull in the music and he looked down to find Josh’s eyes trained on him, a small smile as he continued to drum. Tyler knew that Josh was nervous, he’d voiced it so many times, but he was beginning to understand and accept that Tyler just had to do that. It was more than just a shock factor thing to him now and so Josh took in a deep breath and nodded, keeping eye contact with Tyler.

 

He stood up taller and pointed his hand down at Josh, turning back to the crowd.

 

“Give it up for my main man, Josh,” he yelled into the microphone, a grin appearing on his face again as they all screamed. Josh was no doubt blushing and Tyler was a little disappointed that he couldn’t see it. The music picked back up again and Tyler focussed on the words and the fans.

 

_ “And now I just sit in silence,”  _ his voice hurt and he was alive.

 

_ “And now I just sit in silence,”  _ his heart was racing and he couldn’t breathe.

 

_ “And now I just sit,” _ his foot slipped on the railing and one hand wasn’t enough.

 

The music stopped and there wasn’t even enough time for a gasp as Tyler was falling, falling,  _ falling. _

 

Time got real slow, enough time for Tyler to think and to feel the terror, the excitement, he was terrified. Everything was black.

 

It didn’t take long for screams to erupt in the crowd, didn’t take long for Josh to be hauling ass over the drums, tripping over a cymbal as he tried to run to Tyler’s side. He was praying, wishing, begging that Tyler was okay. He’d take knocked out and concussed, he would take amnesia, anything but what was swimming in his mind. He kneeled beside Tyler, hands nervously flitting out and he wanted to touch Tyler, to pull him into his lap and whisper that it was okay but he could see clear as day that it wasn’t okay.

 

There was blood generously leaking out of Tyler’s head and Josh had to look away when he saw that it was deformed, that his skull didn’t look so right, that maybe that wasn’t just blood. 

  
It might have been selfish and messed up but Josh couldn’t help but think  _ ‘I told you so.’ _


	2. Chapter 2

Josh was standing in with the crew on the bus, staring at the absurd amount of boxes of cereal they had bought. 

 

“We have to eat them all tonight,” Mark said, staring at them with wide eyes. Josh nodded and held his stomach like he was already full.

 

“I’m gonna die,” he said quietly as he walked over and got bowls down for everyone and a spoon. He pulled the milk out and set them all on the table, staring at the boxes again before he grabbed one and poured it. 

 

Josh was pouring his third bowl, groaning as he did, complaining about being full.

 

“Dude, you gotta,” Mark said, his own spoon slowing down between the bowl and his mouth. They were all quiet for a long time before Josh set his bowl down, looking over to Mark. 

 

“Do you know who you look like?” Josh asked, his tone completely serious.

 

“Who?” Mark asked through a mouthful of cereal. Josh snickered, trying to gain his composure before he spoke.

 

“Dude, I swear on my life, you look like Vector from Despicable Me,” Josh said, busting up laughing. Mark looked so offended that every person in the bus started laughing. Even Tyler.   
  
Tyler probably laughed the hardest, doubling over as he clutched his stomach with one hand, the other going to his mouth so his waffle crisps didn’t fall on the floor.

 

Josh watched it happen, watched him inhale a breath and the surprise as the piece of cereal went down the wrong way and got lodged in his throat.

  
He was choking and they were trying anything to get it out of Tyler’s throat but he was turning blue, blue,  _ blue  _ and he looked terrified. His spasming slowed and everyone was frantic and Tyler was no longer struggling to breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

Tyler only did it for certain shows, when he was feeling extra good and when the venue made it easy to get through. He didn’t like the body double, felt almost like a cheat, but he knew the fans ate it up. 

 

This was a venue that was easy to navigate and Tyler could sprint up the stairs and get to his spot with mere seconds to spare. 

 

He was running through the back, turning corners and missed the bright yellow sign that said caution. He missed the large puddle of water from the ceiling above. So, when his foot hit the puddle and he lost his balance and fell backwards it wasn’t really his fault. It wasn’t even his fault when his head smacked the ground with a sickening crunch. 

 

The song picked up again but nobody came out up by the fans. Josh was drumming but nothing happened and the crew got worried. They retraced their steps and found Tyler on the floor, his suit covered in water, his white shirt stained with blood. 

 

Shock does things to people and Mark could hardly say it was inappropriate when he spoke up.

 

“Maybe you should have used the body double, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was actually one of the original ideas after the show. My sister and I were talking about how he pulled it off and I totally imagine him running underneath Moda Center and sprinting up the stairs. This story is honestly a shit show and it took me and quite a few people to come up with all the ideas. So here you have it,
> 
> 100 ways to kill Tyler Joseph, all of these ideas are actually completely plausible and have happened in real life. Might I remind you that yes, these have all happened before to people.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm literally just not editing these at all. They're so short and I just don't give a flying fuck

Tyler had worked hard on stage that night. He sweat out an entire pool’s worth of water and he was exhausted. He had poor eating habits and honestly, he wasn’t kind to his body. He didn’t drink enough water and it was just a matter of time before he dehydrated himself. They were all concerned as Tyler was backstage groaning and clutching his side but he kept saying he was fine.

 

“Guys,”  _ groan,  _ “It’s just cramps, let me stretch and I’ll be okay.”

 

They all stared at Tyler and Mark got a little nervous that he wouldn’t be okay and the show tomorrow was gonna be worse for him.

 

“Look, man, I know you hate them but, bananas are good for cramps. It’ll make you feel a lot better instead of rolling on the ground like some kid throwing a tantrum,” he said calmly, knowing the insult would get a rise out of Tyler. He rolled onto his back and let out a sigh, wincing as he tried yet again to stretch out his muscles.

 

“You know I hate those,” he said quietly, looking like he was more in pain at the thought of consuming a banana rather than the cramps that were currently crippling him.

 

“I know, Tyler, I just want you to be able to not be miserable tomorrow night. I know how down you get when you can't put on the same show, I don’t want you to feel shitty over that.”

 

Tyler sighed and pushed himself up into a sitting position, his eyes almost beginning to get teary. Mark went to the cabinet and pulled out his own stash of bananas, ripping one off and handing it to Tyler. He looked at the offending fruit and frowned, peeling it open and staring up at the faces who were watching him. He groaned once more before he broke it in half, shoving it into his mouth without hesitation. 

 

“I’d suggest smaller bites so you-” Mark started, cutting off when Tyler coughed, choked, actually. He stared wide eyed at Tyler as he had half the banana lodged in his throat and they were trying to dig the banana out of Tyler’s throat but it was squishy and just broke bits away, pushing the rest farther down. Mark stood there and watched helplessly as his close friends eyes drained of light and life, the warm brown color he’d grown to love over the years was cold and dark, lacking the gold hint to it that gave him so much  _ more _ .

  
Mark stood there with the rest of the bananas in his hands and he suddenly understood why Josh hated them and Tyler used to hate them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im always accepting prompts or friend requests tumblr [tumblr](skelebreaux.tumblr.com) or you can message me on kik: shrekkt and be my friend or request a fic
> 
> im lonely


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catching up since i missed a day because i was fucking exhausted yesterday

They had just finished a show and Tyler was exhausted. He’d gone hard for so many nights in a row without a hotel night and he was about ready to collapse. He never slept well anyway, this was just making his habit worse. 

 

Usually, he’d be helping to lug equipment out to the bus and get ready to move but he apologized under his breath as he walked into the cool night air and gulped it in like he was dying. 

 

He walked over and leaned against the truck, closing his eyes and hanging his head, letting his sore muscles finally scream at him. The crew was still loading gear into the truck and they all noticed Tyler take a break and were relieved that he was finally getting some semblance of rest. They all walked back into the venue to grab more equipment, leaving Tyler to the cold, dead silence. He was the only one who heard the weird clicking, the whining of something mechanical. He looked around and didn’t see anybody he could ask, didn’t see anybody who could identify what it actually was.

 

Tyler felt pressure on his back, his feet shuffling forward as he was shoved forward slowly. It wasn’t a person behind him, it was big and cold and metal and he hadn’t moved from the truck. It picked up speed quickly and Tyler tried to dodge out of the way, sidestepping to get away but his shirt was stuck on something and he didn’t have the leverage or strength to tear it. He tripped over his foot trying to get away, the truck yanking him back and he couldn’t get his footing again. He saw the ground coming closer, closer, heard the truck going faster, faster. 

 

He hit the pavement and heard his shirt tear, heard something crunch. He felt pain shooting up his spine, his body on fire.

 

It was pain, pain,  _ fucking pain _ , until it was nothing and Tyler was nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @ cliqueasfrick
> 
> blame them

Tyler hopped off the stage, Michael coming over to him and helping him up and over the barricade. He saw the fans push forward as people tried to get hands on him. He figured at least more people would catch him for falling.

 

He’d grown more comfortable with standing on the crowd, was able to move around more. He’d bounce slowly, lean forward and back, side to side. He let himself go loose and enjoy the music, the song, the screams. 

 

He didn’t notice it as he leaned too far forward, the fans grips held onto his shoe but not his whole foot. The grip on his belt got yanked back as Tyler tumbled and he knew that Michael was struggling to get back to him. The crowd pushed back in shock, allowing Tyler enough room to keep falling until his shoulder hit the floor. He felt it push forward again as people dove to touch him. There were so many hands. Hands everywhere. On his body in places that were meant for one person only. There were so many feet, kicking and stepping. One was on his groin and he was doubled forward and then another was kicked into his eye. His kidney, his stomach, his everything and Tyler was crying. He was suffocating and counting the seconds until he felt Michael pull him up and out of this hell he’d been dragged into.

  
His seconds ran out before the hands got to him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay honestly im sorry. its 3 am and im tired and this seemed like a good idea. i regret this entire fic but its weirdly fun to write. uhm, trigger warning maybe? kinda weird kinda gross kinda cool

Josh went hard. He always went hard.

 

It didn’t matter what song it was, he always gave it his all. It’s why he was always drenched in sweat and half asleep by the time he stumbled off stage.

 

Drenched in sweat meaning literally everything. Face, neck, back, feet, even his hands. That was the worst, always.

 

Trying to hold onto drumsticks when his palms were sweaty, trying to keep them seated so he could get a good hit on the drum face, it was more difficult than people expected. This happened and he had drumsticks slip out of his hands all the time. Usually they crashed to the floor and made a clatter that wasn’t heard over Tyler’s singing and he grabbed a new one and was back at it. Sometimes they flew straight behind him and were never to be seen again. Sometimes, they flew out, up, straight at the boy who had just turned around and was singing to Josh.

 

Sometimes there was a lot of force behind those small, round, wooden objects. It could cause damage pretty easily.

 

With a bit of skill (???) and a dash of luck (okay, what? There was definitely not luck) Josh managed to lodge a drumstick in Tyler’s eye. 

  
He didn’t know if there was fear in Tyler’s eye (yes, singular, the other was a little, preoccupied?) or if it was pain. Tyler stayed conscious long enough to trip backstage and leave the crowd with a lot of confusion and a completely stunned Josh Dun on the drums.


	8. Chapter 8

It started out as a joke, something to post on vine to keep fans sedated while Tyler tried to think of something funnier. It turned out that they thought this mediocre idea was the best thing ever. They got a lot of tags, asking them to look at their extreme phone pinching in places that had Tyler’s anxiety screaming for this unknown fan. So he continued it. 

 

Stumbling upon the elevator shaft was an accident. Their hotel for the night was a little on the sketchier side but they were promised that it was completely safe, there is nothing to worry about. Tyler and Josh had no plans on sleeping so they explored the halls and laughed when they found it.

 

“Dude, dude, you think I can extreme phone pinch in there?” Tyler asked, peeking over the edge. There was a sign he’d disregarded that mentioned something about maintenance, that people needed to keep away for danger risks. 

 

Josh encouraged Tyler.

 

“Hold on, I’ll get the camera ready,” he said, smiling as Tyler toed the edge of a shaft that went so far down it was black. He was filming and Tyler’s heart was racing, for his phone and his life. He was about to pull away when someone startled him.

 

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Can’t you read, it says ‘stay away’ for a damn reason!” A man called. Tyler looked up hurriedly, his phone slipping from his fingers in his startle. He reached out, cursing under his breath as it brushed his fingers and bounced against the walls all the way down. Tyler’s body didn’t react quick enough as he bent down to try and catch it, leaning too far and his toes slipping in, his body slipping in.

 

Instead of his phone bouncing along the walls, it was his head. Down, down, down, until his body hit the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let the bodies hit the floor


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for being so late on updating. birthdays and fair and yeah

Tyler liked the end of his concerts the most. He got to talk and talk about whatever he wanted. He talked about current issues, reminded everyone there that they should stay alive. He felt like this was his time to be honest, be open,  _ be vulnerable, _ and he took his chance every single night. 

 

Everyone got quiet when the lights dimmed and there was the one spotlight on him and his keyboard. He played softly and mulled over his thoughts. He leaned into the microphone but the crowd beat him to it, screaming and shouting and cheering. He was confused, looking out into the audience, they never did this, they knew this was his time. He felt a hand on his back and he startled, whipping around to see blonde hair and a soft face and he grinned.

 

“Jenna,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. The crowd cheered and Tyler couldn’t even keep kissing here because he was smiling too wide. He pulled away and stared at her for a moment before he realized that she had a microphone. She brought it to her lips and smiled and Tyler was at a loss for words.

 

“I had some big news, I knew that you guys here were just as important as Tyler and before you ask, he doesn’t know either,” she said easily, smiling when Tyler continued playing his chords like he always did. 

 

“I’ve checked a million times but the answer hasn’t changed, I’m pregnant and there’s going to be a little Joseph running around,” she said, turning around and smiling at her husband.

 

“Tyler?” She asked, dropping the microphone as she walked up to him. He was crying and he looked a little bit like he was in pain.

 

“Baby, please talk to me,” she said quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder. 

 

Tyler couldn’t speak though. He wanted to say it was anxiety but he didn’t think that was right. His chest was so tight, feeling like it might explode. He didn’t understand what was happening until his arm started hurting and he looked up at his wife before his knees gave out and he tried to his his keyboard to keep himself standing but all it did was let out some ugly chords and fall with him.

  
He was having a heart attack. Tyler Joseph, a young man and father, was having a heart attack.


	10. Chapter 10

Jenna was thrusting the elbow pads at Tyler, insisting that he wear them.

 

“Please, I hate when you come off stage and you’re limping or clutching at your arm,” she pleaded. He sighed as he looked at her eyes, feeling bad that he was the reason they looked sad. He held his hands up in defense, giving her a small shake of his head. 

 

“Jenna, come on, they’ll think I can’t take it or something. You know how many people send hate on Twitter and stuff. I try not to look at it but it’s hard sometimes. I don’t want to start seeing that they think I can’t do this,” he explained, his expression growing so sad. Jenna let out a sigh and dropped her hands to her sides, turning and setting the padding down on the table. She walked forward and gave Tyler a hug, letting herself be enveloped by Tyler.

 

“Promise me you’ll be okay?” She whispered, closing her eyes and just trying to breathe in how alive and okay he was. She felt him nod.

 

“Of course,” he said quietly, thinking for a minute.

  
“Jenna, this isn’t the first time I’ve refused protection, didn’t turn out so bad last time, hm?” He asked, feeling the soft hit from Jenna at his side. He tipped his head back and laughed harder, shaking his head as he came down from the high of his joke.

 

“Come on, I’m fine. We’re stronger than death, I’ve proved that time and time again, I’ll get through another show with scraped up elbows,” he said softly and Jenna pulled back to kiss him, nodding her head as he pulled away and went backstage to get ready.

 

Jenna watched from the side, clapping and smiling through each song, so intensely proud of her husband and his best friend. They’d come a long ways and she couldn’t help but watch every show she could make it to. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be at this show or in the safety of her own home. 

 

It happened in slow motion. He’d done it so often, walking over the front of the piano towards the crowd, it shouldn’t have been a problem but he’d done it so often, he was careless. 

 

He ran from the corner, his foot slipping as he ran up. He landed with his ass on the top of the piano, sliding over the top and down to the ground where he caught his footing. It was lucky up until the moment he was crouching to take the blow off his knees, his arm caught behind him. Jenna swears she could hear the crunch from where she stood. She definitely saw the way the bone had pierced through the skin, the blood that was pouring out of his arm. She stood with her mouth open, not even able to move as the paramedics pushed past her. 

 

She heard them yell about pressure bandages, about how the bone had cut into his brachial artery. Jenna watched as her own husband grew pale. The paramedics were trying to stop the blood flow but it wouldn’t clot and they had equipment suited for a heat injury, not mass bleeding. She pulled the ring off her finger and put it in her pocket, feeling empty.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this isnt very good :(

Tyler was sitting, his knees to his chest as he stared out at the crowd through a red tint. He loved the hamster ball, even if he looked like a newborn pony inside it. He could hardly keep his balance but it didn’t matter, he had a blast. It was always fun to look down below his feet and see the smiling faces of fans that thought it was fantastic to hold him up. 

 

It got more people involved, not just those who had managed to get to the front. 

 

The ball dented where hands pressed into it and usually it wasn’t a problem,  _ usually _ .

 

Of course, there was always that one time that Tyler would slip, his hips and back hitting the bottom of the ball. His head hit where a fans hand was denting it, snapping it back the other direction.

  
_ Crack, crack  _ and Tyler was lifeless.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im just shitting these out my ass ngl

His downfall was honestly his sass.

 

Tyler’s mother always told him that one day his sarcastic comments would kill him. Tyler always said his mother was right. Today he learned she was  _ always  _ right.

 

They had been walking around whatever town they’d stopped in and Tyler was a little tired, a little on edge. Josh was being particularly annoying, maybe that was just because Tyler was already on edge. He was looking over at Josh when he saw someone out of the corner of his eye or the fact that they had a knife directed right at Tyler and Josh.

 

“Give me your wallet,” he yelled, eyes shifting between the boys. Josh’s eyes got wide and he held his hands up, one of them reaching slowly to his back pocket to pull his wallet out. He tossed it over, his elbow digging into Tyler’s side.

 

“ _ Dude,  _ just do it, we’ll be fine,” Josh pleaded, nudging Tyler again who only rolled his eyes. 

 

“What’s he gonna do stab me?” He asked, looking from Josh over to the man who was staring at them, clearly just as frightened as Josh.

 

“Yeah, what’re you gonna do, stab me?” He asked and Tyler watched as the man lunged forward, digging the knife into Tyler’s stomach. He twisted as he pulled the knife out, his hand losing its grip and the bloody knife hit the cement. 

 

Tyler looked down at his stomach, the growing red spot, the blood seeping through his fingers.

 

“Josh, he- he- he fucking stabbed me!”

 

“Fuck, dude, I totally didn’t mean to do that, my girlfriend wanted dinner and I didn’t have the cash,” the guy said, looking between the two before he turned and booked it out of there.

 

Tyler was coughing and losing blood quickly, his brain shutting down and not processing the pain that would otherwise be shooting through his nerves. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is literally a way that someone died. he died at a feast that was in honor of him so.

It was their little secret that they’d kept from their fans. 

 

Tyler always tried to be a good role model for them, didn’t curse, attended church when he could. He  _ was  _ allowed to have a little fun every once in awhile though. 

 

It was his birthday and everyone had gathered at his parents house. He was sitting on the floor and having a good time when Josh came over and pulled on his arm.

 

“Ty, come on,” he said quietly, a grin on his face. Tyler looked up at him with a confused stare but stood up, following after Josh. 

 

“What’re you doing? I don’t like that smile,” Tyler said, continuing to follow Josh into the backyard. Josh stopped and turned around, that same grin on his face as he dug around in his pocket. He pulled out a pipe and a small bag of green that Tyler recognized immediately.

 

“Dude, I’m with my family, they’ll smell it,” he said, eyes wide but he kept staring at the weed and he really wanted to smoke. It had been awhile since he and Josh had last had any. He always had fun, let loose, he missed feeling like he was on top of the world, (figuratively, of course. He stood up on top of the light sets at shows and  _ was  _ on top of the world, only slightly scared of falling from that high). 

 

Josh shrugged his shoulders and thrusted the baggie at Tyler.

 

“Come on, I’m sure they’ve all smelled it on us before. We weren’t exactly secretive about it at the lake last year. We only walked like five feet away before your greedy ass was pulling the pipe out and smoking,” Josh said with a roll of his eyes. Tyler huffed out a breath but took it anyway.

 

“Birthday boy first, huh?” Tyler asked, a smile spreading on his face. Josh pouted but nodded anyway.

 

“Wasn’t gonna offer but fine, as long as you save some for me.”

 

Tyler set it up quickly, taking the lighter that Josh outstretched and holding the pipe to his lips. He met Josh’s eyes before he lit the flame, closing his eyes as he inhaled. It tasted as gross as ever and it still burned, it hurt to hold in, but it felt good coming out. Tyler took another couple of hits before he handed it back over to Josh, an apologetic smile on his face.

 

“Sorry, got ahead of myself,” he mumbled but Josh couldn’t even be mad because Tyler was grinning. 

 

They passed it back and forth for a while, smoking until their mouths and throats were so dry that it was painful to talk. Tyler felt dizzy and happy. He had a hard time thinking but he welcomed that, letting good and bad thoughts melt away as he stared at Josh. 

 

Josh took his hand and ushered him back inside, pocketing the baggie and pipe. They both walked over to the sink, getting a cup of water and downing it before they looked at each other and busted up laughing.

 

Tyler wasn’t sure if the look from his mother was knowing or not. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek and said she was happy to see him smile so wide again so he figured that she wasn’t too mad. 

 

It was never really a party in his house until there was too much food. Tyler and Josh took to standing by the counter, eating anything they could get their hands on. They were pulled away when they insisted Tyler sit down and open the few presents people handed over. Most were cards with cute sayings, his mother giving him a forever twenty-one gift card. She thought she was hilarious.

 

They brought out cake and Tyler blew out his candles and watched as the smoke lazily rose into the air. 

 

Then he was eating again and he blamed it on the munchies, really. He was just so hungry, not really, but he loved the taste of it. Josh was sat next to him, clutching his stomach.

 

“Tyler, I ate too much, I can’t,” he said, groaning as he looked over at Tyler who had a bite of cake in his mouth.

 

“How can you even eat that much?” Josh asked, appalled that Tyler was still going. Tyler shrugged in response.

 

“I don’t know, I don’t even notice? I was hungry and now I’m eating,” he explained and Josh took it in stride.

 

He should have stopped when Josh did or maybe when he felt a twinge of pain in his abdomen but he didn’t. It tasted good and Tyler was still just as greedy and he was going to eat until he felt satisfied.

 

Or until he died, whichever came first. 

 

Death came first.

 

The paramedics stared down at the pained expression on Tyler’s dead face and found it hard not to laugh. Everyone else was a little bit traumatized as they stared at their best friend, boyfriend, son, cousin, who was dead on their floor. 

 

“I’m sorry, can you explain that again?” Tyler’s mother asked quietly, shock making her voice shake as she tried to hold in the tears pricking at her eyes.

  
“Ma’am, your son ate until he literally exploded his stomach. I’ve only ever  _ heard  _ of this happening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story is honestly the worst thing ive ever written and i love it so much.


	14. Chapter 14

Josh really wanted to laugh. It was such a hilariously tragic turn of events. 

 

Tyler had done it so many times, it shouldn’t have even been a problem for him. It didn’t even  _ weigh  _ that much but it still knocked him over. It knocked him over and Tyler was just as unprepared as anyone that he couldn’t even catch himself as he fell off his little platform.

 

The damn swinging microphone. 

 

He pushed it away and caught it, singing the melody into the mic and then pushed it away again. To be fair, it was dark and the flashing lights next to him blended into the light on the microphone and sometimes he was literally feeling blindly to catch it. Usually, he was golden. He caught it with no problem and continued on with the song. That’s why Josh thought it was so hilarious that Tyler  _ died _ .

 

The mic swung and Tyler outstretched his arms but he couldn’t feel him until it hit the side of his head. He took a step back, shocked and a lot confused that he’d missed. He shouldn’t have stepped back because he missed the edge of the platform and he was going backwards off of it. But this time wasn’t like in Heavydirtysoul because he wasn’t expecting the crash landing, he wasn’t prepared, he was so damn  _ confused _ . His head hit the floor first and everything spun around him and people screamed and Tyler felt everything get black and quiet and he figured he’d just take a nice long nap.

 

Long being the keyword.

  
Josh really wanted to laugh. Of all the ways Tyler Joseph could die, it had to be a microphone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these are all such shit why are you letting me do this. why are you reading this


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about my little hiatus, i started a new story and wanted to get some shit done there. these ideas i have for this keep expanding and it gets worse and worse

They always left an aisle for Tyler and Josh to run down to get between stages, only if the venue allowed it. They’d played an outside show that wasn’t an arena and had to scrape that set, just playing their medley on the main stage. But others was easy to set up in and Tyler really liked it. He liked sitting in the middle of everything and liked the lights under him. It was easier to get lost in his music on the small stage. Everything was so much more intimate there, the fans were right there,  _ right there, _ and Josh was just as close, his drums within reaching distance.

 

“Alright, get your phones out, I want to see you guys shine,” he said, standing up before the last song and looking out at the crowd. He watched as it went from black to white lights pointing at him, little stars spread everywhere throughout the audience. He thought it was just as beautiful as the first time he saw it. There was the occasional yellow light, an actual lighter but they were all just as beautiful as the next. He sang his last song and was ushered off the stage, Michael pushing him down the aisle and helping him get back to where he needed to be. 

 

The phones swayed left and right, the entire arena joining in. A few hands bumped him as he ran by. It was just dumb luck that there was a guy with a lighter. Tyler felt the warmth on his sleeve and stopped, turning to stare incredulously at this guy. He wanted to say something about how this guy could be so stupid as to sway a lighter like that and endanger not only him but the others around him.

 

He was about to say something but he felt warmth and the lighter was gone and he looked at his sleeve and the fire was still there. It was growing and growing and Tyler screamed, trying to pat it out with his hand, only pulling away a burned hand and the fire to spread. He felt it spread down his back, licking at his legs. He felt it touch his chest and his hair and he dropped. He was terrified and tried to roll on the ground but his body was in pain and it made it worse. People were screaming around him but Tyler couldn’t hear anything anymore. He couldn’t feel anything besides the heat and his own screaming. 

  
He couldn’t feel anything, the fire having burned through his nerves. 

  
He couldn’t feel anything as his skin was burned until it turned into gas and until his heart gave up, the stress and the pain and the damage too much for Tyler.


	16. Chapter 16

The song had been written and approved and Tyler was excited. They’d offered to shoot a music video that would go alongside the film's promo release. It would serve as their own work as well as the movies which, in the end, Tyler agreed to. He still got to have creative insight on how things turned out even if they told him what the main scene would be. He got to add in his glowing platform that he thought made Josh look good, he got to see Josh in a beanie and everything was worth it.

 

Mark was sat next to him, a little frustrated that he couldn’t be the one to shoot it. He’d done most of the band's other work and had proved himself in his visual design and placement, he wished they’d let him take over this one too. Tyler knew he had good ideas, knew that he was good with designs and effects.

 

“What about him in a suit?” Mark offered, raising his eyebrows at the uptight businessman who kept shooting down any idea that the band had. The men all shook their heads, frowning as they looked between themselves.

 

“Tyler is playing as another one of the inmates, he can’t be in a suit,” one said, rolling his eyes like it was obvious.

 

“Not just any suit, a yellow suit,” Mark said, a smile on his face. Everyone, including Tyler, looked at Mark with an odd expression.

 

“No, trust me, the yellow suit will be good. Kind of a mustard color, it’ll match his skin tone. Black shirt and pants, it’ll look good,” he explained and Tyler shrugged, not caring too much about the suit anymore. He trusted Mark, after all.

 

“We want him in an orange jumpsuit,” they said and Mark crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Fine, he’s in the jumpsuit. Before they play on the stage you mentioned, I want him in the suit. You can do a cool takeaway, have the jumpsuit rip to a suit underneath,” Mark said, trying to compromise with the men. They leaned over and whispered back and forth before they nodded.

 

“What about we put Tyler in a bolo?” The director asked, excitement on his face. Tyler looked over to Mark who seemed equally as disgusted with the idea. Mark scrunched his nose up and Tyler thought it made him look even more like Vector from Despicable Me.

 

After that, the music video got rolling quickly. Mark was most excited to watch his idea come to life. He’d always been a fan of the days when they wore suits, was more than happy to see them come back for the Emotional Roadshow tour, now this? He was living life. 

 

“Are we pulling it up or down?” The director asked, looking over to Mark as he adjusted the cameras to the angle he wanted.

 

“I think the takeaway looks better going up, it always seems to rip easier that way,” Mark explained, shrugging his shoulders as he watched them hook cords to Tyler’s jumpsuit. The director nodded and told the workers what he’d decided on before he called action. The music played as Tyler started walking. Mark watched with excitement as they pulled on the cords and the suit began to rip off of Tyler. It worked for the most part, the top piece not going. Mark watched as they tried yanking harder, the fabric catching Tyler’s chin and yanking his head to the side. His face looked distressed as it turned and turned until Mark was sure that the human neck shouldn’t go that far.

 

Even with the music playing, everyone in the room could hear the crack that seemed to bounce off the walls. Tyler tipped backwards and his body hit the floor with a loud thump. 

 

“Maybe it was supposed to be ripped down, not up,” he whispered, scratching at his chin as he stared at Tyler, his eyes still open and his face still in distress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think ive got something against mark tbh


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im laughing over some of these ideas. you have no idea what youve got coming your way. also updated the tags a little bit so. enjoy

Tyler really, really loved jumping. Maybe a little too much. He jumped off of anything he could. He’d jump off the stage, off the platforms they bring in, off his piano. It wasn’t like it was new to him. He’d done it since the very first show where there was a platform to do it. 

 

Maybe it was because he was so caught up in his singing that he didn’t pay attention to his footing. He stepped up onto his chair, onto his keyboard, one foot on the top of the piano. He was going to jump off of it, do some fancy kick in the air before he landed. Usually he would wait until he brought his feet together but he got a little too excited that time and jumped as his other foot was still trying to get to the top of the piano. His toe caught the lip between the wood and his keyboard and tripped him.

 

He watched as the audience and the stage all moved quickly out of view, the stage coming closer and closer as he processed what happened. 

 

Josh watched in fear as his best friend fell and cringed as he watched his best friends head bounce off of the floor. He compared it to a basket ball. 

 

When the paramedics rushed over to treat him, they rolled him onto his back and were checked for a pulse. Josh looked over his drums and the face he saw connected to his best friends body, really didn’t look like a face anymore. Too much blood and it seemed like the bones in his face had been broken. It looked deformed. The paramedics looked around nervously when they couldn’t even find a pulse. Neither knew what to do with the lead singer being dead on stage and the audience with phones out and whispers ringing through the arena. 

 

The lights all shut off and Josh was ushered off stage.


	18. Chapter 18

Josh and Tyler were arguing back and forth about where to stop for lunch.

 

“Come on, dude, we used to go to Taco Bell all the time,” Josh whined, slouching on the couch as he watched Tyler pace back and forth. Tyler shook his head and frowned.

 

“Exactly, I’m sick of it. I wanna go to Chipotle,” he argued back and it went on for a few minutes before Josh got sick of fighting and threw his hands in the air as a surrender.

 

“Fine, Jesus, have it your way,” he said and crossed his arms over his chest. 

 

They went to Chipotle and Josh was annoyed the entire time, ignoring the attempts at conversation from Tyler. 

 

“Would you stop ignoring me? We can go to Taco Bell next time if it really means that much to you,” Tyler said, obviously getting annoyed now with the silent treatment. Josh let out a sigh.

 

“It’s not about going to Taco Bell, it’s about you thinking that you can get whatever you want because you pout a little and stomp your feet. Like, I know we joke about things and you being the lead singer and all, but sometimes it feels like you really do pull that shit,” Josh said, realizing he was letting off months of stress and anxiety. Tyler looked a little offended but nodded his head.

 

“I, uhm, didn’t know you felt that way,” Tyler said quietly, looking down at his shoes. They were both quiet until it was their turn to order. They took their food and sat down, eating it quietly and hardly looking at each other. It was so uncharacteristic for them but neither knew how to apologize or move past it. They figured it was something they needed to do in private, not in the middle of Chipotle. 

 

They shuffled back onto the bus, the crew members realizing they needed their space. 

 

Josh sat down across from Tyler and frowned, rubbing his hands together as he tried to piece together his thoughts and worries.

 

“What I said was out of line,” he started but Tyler shook his head. He brought his legs up onto the couch and curled in on himself. 

 

“What? You’re just gonna ignore it and not talk to me about this? You’re just gonna ignore what I said and move on?” He asked, a little frustrated that Tyler was ignoring the entire situation.

 

“Josh, stop making this about you. I don’t  _ feel  _ good, we can talk about it later tonight,” Tyler said and he looked a little pitiful as his arms wrapped around his stomach. Josh sighed and gave up his frustration for the moment. They went to bed without any discussion and with Tyler still feeling bad. 

 

Josh tried the next day but got the same response as Tyler blew him off yet again. Josh’s frustrations grew but he tried to keep it to himself. It was obvious that Tyler was feeling miserable. 

 

“You need a hospital?” Josh said as he watched Tyler curl up in his bunk. Tyler shook his head and whimpered as he clutched his stomach tighter.

 

The next day Tyler looked pale. The crew was beginning to get worried and Josh had forgotten about his argument. 

 

“Let’s take you to a hospital,” Josh pleaded, crouching down next to Tyler who was curled up on the couch. Tyler shook his head and that was that. 

 

“It’s just stomach pain, nothing more,” he said, weakly pushing away Josh’s hands.

 

But later that night Tyler collapsed in the bathroom after using it and Josh rushed in, finding Tyler laying on the floor with tears rolling down his cheeks. Josh helped him gently and carried him to the couch. Josh brushed Tyler’s hair off his face and kissed his forehead.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asked softly, hating how Tyler sniffled and turned into his shirt and tried to hide. Josh held him closer.

 

“Everything hurts s-so bad,” he explained, his breathing shaky.

 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, what’s going on?” Josh asked, running his hand through Tyler’s hair soothingly. Tyler didn’t answer for a long time, his sobs growing louder every once in awhile when pain spiked in his abdomen. 

 

“I’m dying,” Tyler whispered and Josh gave a short laugh.

 

“Come on, dude, don’t be dramatic,” Josh said, leaning down to kiss Tyler’s forehead. His hand twitched like he was going to push Josh away but he seemed too weak to even do that much. 

 

“No, I am, Josh,” he said quietly, his head rolling back and he looked up at Josh but his eyes seem distant. 

 

“In the bathroom, there was blood, so much blood. I think I got e coli,” he explained and Josh’s face paled. 

  
They rushed Tyler to the hospital but he was weak and his kidneys gave out on the way. Josh had always wished that Tyler would grow old and pass away in his sleep. He was saddened to see that it was actually painful until the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter is gonna be golden. gonna try to bust it out before work but it might need to wait. stay tuned folks


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you cant get mad at me bc i changed the name

It was the day after their hometown show and someone suggested they go to the zoo. Tyler had always loved going to the Cincinnati zoo and he agreed quickly. 

 

They got stopped by a few fans and took photos and generally had a good day.

 

They stopped by the gorilla exhibit, pointing at the gorillas down in the enclosure. Mark read the sign at the front and pointed out the difference.

 

“The one in the far left corner is Sharambe and the one that’s hiding is Richard. Why is his name Richard?” Mark asked, his eyebrows scrunching up.

 

“Maybe because he’s a dick?” Josh asked, wiggling his eyebrows as he looked around at his friends’ unimpressed faces. He whined for a second, his face turning into a pout.

 

“Come on, guys. That was funny,” Josh tried and they all rolled their eyes. Suddenly Tyler got excited, jumping up and pointing to the opposite corner they were standing in. They all looked as they saw the other gorilla emerge from his hiding place in the rocks.

 

“Look, guys! Dick’s out for Sharambe!” Mark exclaimed, smiling wide as he looked around. They all busted up laughing but Tyler found it funniest. He leaned against the railing and held his stomach as he practically doubled over. He stumbled around as his eyes were closed, taking his hand off the railing to wipe at a tear that formed in his eyes. He took a step and lost his balance as he stepped on somebody's foot. Tyler stepped backwards again and hit the railing, a scared look on his face as he tipped backwards. 

 

Josh and the rest of them hardly noticed Tyler was gone until they opened their eyes and watched him roll down the grassy hill and into the water at the bottom. They watched with shocked expressions as Sharambe hurried over to Tyler, yanking at his shirt and dragging him back to her corner. People screamed and phones were pulled out and Josh was a little too shocked that Tyler was stuck in this cage. Mark leaned over to whisper in Josh’s ear.

 

“Guess the gorilla made him her bitch before you could,” he teased and Josh almost laughed.

 

A few zoo officials came over to them and explained what was going to happen, explaining that Sharambe would need to be put down in order to extract Tyler safely from the sanctuary. 

 

They watched sadly as a man got ready to put down the gorilla but they knew that it was for the safety of their friend. 

  
Nobody would have predicted the man to actually be a horrible shot. Josh watched with sadness as the gorilla flinched away from Tyler and the bullet ripped through Tyler’s skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> too soon?


	20. Chapter 20

Tyler was scrolling through twitter, looking through things that he’d been tagged in. He tried to look through as much as he could but he got too many in a day that he could hardly keep up with them. 

 

He liked his favorite tweets, the ones he laughed at or sometimes the ones that insulted his own band. He liked the ones that tried insulting him best because he had thousands of people every night that contradicted these statements (even if sometimes the tweets worried him).

 

His favorite that day was a tweet saying that he should die. 

 

Tyler didn’t take offense to the tweet, he thought it was ridiculously funny. 

 

That night they were playing a show. The venue owner had asked Tyler to avoid climbing the lighting structure, said that it was against their policy but Tyler tuned him out. 

 

They show started and Tyler played to his heart's content and the crowd ate it up. It got to Car Radio and he walked over to the light set, not a worry in his mind. He got a few rungs up before someone grabbed his foot and pulled.

 

“Sir, we specifically told you not to climb,” the man said as he yanked on Tyler’s foot again.

  
Tyler slipped and tried to hang on but his hand slipped and he hit his head on the rung. He was dizzy and had no sense of which way was up and he couldn’t grab ahold of anything. The man pulled again as Tyler’s body slumped and he hit another rung. The man stepped away as Tyler fell to the floor. He poked Tyler with his toe and winced when Tyler didn’t react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really didnt like this chapter


	21. Chapter 21

They were sitting in a bar and everyone was having a few drinks. Tyler ordered a plain coke. 

 

Everyone was a little tipsy and Tyler wasn’t offended, he didn’t mind. 

 

“Come on, Tyler, let loose a little,” Mark tried, letting his head rest on his hand. He was pouting, wanting his friend to have fun with them. Tyler had been subject to peer pressure before and has always stood up to them but he couldn’t help but admit he was a little curious about what it was like, if it even tasted good enough for people to drink until they were drunk. He frowned as he thought about it and decided he was just going to make a spur of the moment decision. 

 

He stopped a waiter and smiled politely at her. He asked for something fruity and sweet and she smiled before leaving when he said he didn’t care. They all smiled when Tyler turned back to them. 

 

The waiter brought his drink out and handed it to him. They all watched as Tyler hesitantly took a sip of it. 

 

“This tastes good?” He asked, confused as he took another sip. They all laughed and drank together and Tyler decided that maybe a drink or two every once in awhile wouldn’t be so bad. He got to the end of his drink and looked down at the glass, looking back up at his friends.

 

“There’s a cherry in it?” He asked and they laughed again, nodding to him.

 

“Some drinks have a cocktail cherry in it or different garnishes,” Josh explained and urged him on.

 

“It’s a candied cherry, it tastes good,” he encouraged and Tyler shrugged, tipping the glass back to let it fall back into his mouth.

  
The cherry bypassed his mouth and went straight for his throat. Tyler dropped the glass and looked back at his friends, confusion on his face as he struggled to breathe. He inhaled quickly, not realizing that the cherry was lodged in his throat. Tyler looked even more confused as things started to get black and people were touching him and yelling. There was pressure on his chest and Tyler was shoved around but he couldn’t understand any of what was going on. Things got dark and Tyler slumped forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im just really pumped to get to some of these later ideas


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was so short what the fuck

They had asked Tyler to do a soundcheck before the show and handed him his bass. He frowned as he started to strum and no sound at all came out. He looked down at his bass and huffed out a breath.

 

“Guys, the point of having a crew is for them to like, I don’t know, make sure the equipment is ready to use?” He asked, a little annoyed. 

 

“Wasn’t even plugged in,” he mumbled as he grabbed the cord and pushed it into the outlet. He didn’t know his finger was on the metal until he felt a shock run through his body and he froze, his body going stiff as electricity flowed through him. He kept thinking about how he should pull his finger away but his muscles wouldn’t respond. He couldn’t move and his brain stopped processing things. 

 

He lost control of his body and felt like he was tasting the electricity. 

  
Everything hurt and his heart stuttered and it kept tripping, trying to keep his body alive but Tyler was no longer conscious. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its 8 am rip my soul

They had been given a short break on tour and Tyler took that opportunity to fly home. He missed his wife (and his parents of course) and couldn't wait to get home and be able to see them. He’d gotten a car rental, wanting to surprise Jenna. He didn’t mind that it costed him a couple bills if it meant he could see the grin on her face because she wasn’t expecting him home. 

 

He was humming along to a song on the radio, going through scenario after scenario of things him and Jenna could do together. He wanted to take her out on cute dates feeling like it had been forever since they’d had any time to themselves. He was turning off the freeway when a bird swooped down low, hitting the window and going lifeless. Tyler’s eyes grew wide at the small splatter of blood and the feathered body that was stuck to his windshield. He turned his windshield wipers on as he watched the bird get pushed up and off of his car. Tyler hadn’t realized he was swerving until his eyes refocused again on the road. He looked up to see the guard rail coming closer and his car jolting as it made impact. 

 

The car flipped to its side, skidding down the grass as it continued to roll. Tyler felt like a rag doll inside the vehicle, his limbs and body being thrown around even with the seatbelt. He felt the metal crushing, felt shards of glass touching his skin and he was screaming. 

 

The ceiling caved in and he could feel it on his head, could feel the way that all of the walls were caving in until something hit him. He wasn’t sure what hurt first, what stopped hurting first. Things were too fast, fast and he was begging to be saved.

  
God must have been distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry that these are so random in length


	24. Chapter 24

They stopped in California to go to Disneyland. They’d been to Disneyworld before but haven’t ever been to the original. Josh was talking a mile a minute, ranting about how excited he was and Tyler was moving non stop, ready to get out and get on some rides. 

 

They stood in lines, the sun beating down on them and neither would shut up, laughing and joking the whole time. They were recognized a few times, fans in front of them in line that stuttered out a hello and tried desperately to hold a conversation. Tyler smiled and talked with them while Josh smiled. Neither minded, more than happy to be able to talk with fans the way they used to before they had gotten big. Tyler missed being able to talk with fans.

 

“Josh, can we please go on Space Mountain?” He begged, puppy dog eyes that Josh hated seeing because he knew he would give in.

 

“Dude, the line is so long, it’s like, an hour,” Josh tried though his feet were following after Tyler, heading across the lot towards the space themed park. 

 

Tyler didn’t even have to try to get Josh into line. He grinned and thanked Josh, talking the whole time about space and aliens, knowing that Josh would melt at the subject. He did, his face lighting up at the thought again and he talked about X-Files, about different types.

 

They got to the front of the line and were happy to see that they’d be in the front of the cart, too. Tyler grinned and Josh couldn’t fight off the smile either. They sat down and pulled the lap bar down. Josh nudged Tyler’s side, looking over and smiling at him. 

 

“Try keeping your hands up the whole time,” he said, his smile growing when Tyler nodded. “It like, throws you around and it’s way more fun.”

 

The ride started off slow, Josh and Tyler’s hands up in the air, thoroughly pissing off the people behind them before anything had really started. They were laughing, bumping each other's hands as they did. 

 

Then everything was dark. They had wind in their hair as they whipped around corners. The ride was rough, throwing the two boys around with nothing to hang onto. Tyler leaned to the right, getting thrown into the side of the cart. They were still turning and the edge was pressing hard into Tyler’s side and he let out a noise of pain, trying to wiggle away but it felt like they were sideways. Josh was pressed into his other side and there was no getting away from the pain.

 

Tyler could practically hear the beams next to his ear.

 

There was a jolt in the ride as it took another hard turn and Tyler’s body leaned farther over the edge and the lights were gone as he smacked into a beam. His body slumped and his hands dropped, blood seeping from the wound in his forehead. The ride shifted to the left and his body leaned into Josh.

 

“Dude!” Josh yelled, shoving at Tyler, “Put your hands up, it’s more fun, c’mon.”

 

Josh was laughing all the way to the end, knowing his eyes were crinkling and his grin was wide as it snapped a photo, the flash blinding him. 

 

The cart came to a halt in front of the line and a lady screamed. Josh turned to his best friend, seeing the blood covering his face and his neck. Josh stood up and stumbled backwards, falling on his ass on the landing. He was staring wide eyed at Tyler, his mind turning to understand what happened. There were hands on Josh, helping him up and guiding him away from his best friend. His best friend who was dead, his neck bending backwards farther than it should. 

 

He stumbled down the hall, needing to find the exit, find where the rest of the crew was sitting in the shade. He felt numb as he passed the screens, photos flashing over them. He saw his own face, a large grin spread on his lips. His eyes drifted to the person next to him, wide-eyed and mouth slack, shiny red covering his right side. 

  
If Josh hadn’t seen it up close, it would almost look like Tyler was leaning his head against the headrest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my fave ride tbh


	25. Chapter 25

Josh really never won at MarioKart so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to him this time. 

 

It was.

 

He had actually been in the lead for almost the entire race. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Tyler crashed through banana after banana (that Josh had set). Josh was nearly there, could see the end. He was going to gloat for a solid hour about how he was better than Tyler. It didn’t matter that next race he would probably lose and Tyler would do the same thing but, he was going to take the chance while he could. 

 

He was mere feet away when a blue shell blew him up. His cart spun wildly and he watched in horror as Tyler sped past him and crossed the finish line. Josh jumped off the couch and touched his hands to his head, shock and frustration and a tad bit of sadness at his lost opportunity.

 

“What? How did that even happen, that was mine!” He said, turning and throwing his controller.

 

The controller hit Tyler in the head and his head hit the wall.

 

“Oh, shit,” Josh said, walking over and cradling Tyler’s head in his hand. He was bleeding in both places where his head had been struck and Josh kept tapping his cheek, trying to wake him up.

 

Mark walked on the bus and looked at Josh as Josh tried to get the blood to stop flowing from the cut that his controller made. 

  
“I think my eulogy is gonna be that it wasn’t my fault,” Mark mumbled as he turned and walked off the bus. 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is actually a legit way to die and they say that this is the reason Elvis may have died. i googled it

Tyler sat down on the toilet and sighed. He had his phone in his hand and a game on the screen. It didn’t take away from the fact that he hadn’t actually taken a shit in God knows how long. It was starting to hurt but he could only force it so much. 

 

Tyler played games on his phone until his battery started to die and he groaned, leaning against the wall. He’d be bored now and he didn’t want that.

 

“Dude, you okay?” Josh called from outside the door.

 

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” Tyler said, his voice strained. He pushed, the pain starting to really build. He wondered if that was what giving birth felt like. 

 

His face was rained and he felt like the vein in his head was about ready to burst. He wasn’t breathing through all the effort and he just wanted this to be over. 

 

“Fuck,” Tyler mumbled and earned himself a concerned knock.

 

“Tyler, dude, what’s up?” Josh asked again. Tyler thought that it would be easier to explain he was jacking off. 

 

“Just taking a shit, leave me alone,” he said and heard a snort come from Josh but didn’t hear footsteps walk away.

 

“Doesn’t sound too good,” he said softly and Tyler cursed under his breath, feeling awkward at the fact that his best friend was standing outside the door while he struggled so badly.

 

Tyler almost made a joke about his heart skipping a beat but it seemed a little more concerning than just that. His heart was too fast and it didn’t feel normal anymore. His vision got dark and he let out a squeak.

 

“Josh, something’s wrong,” he said softly, his mind swimming and his breath coming in ragged. 

 

“Let me in,” Josh said, trying the handle and finding it locked. Tyler would have if his legs would work. He tried to stand but he felt weak, his head was hurting and he couldn’t think. 

 

“My heart,” Tyler whispered, feeling his body slump as he tried to get up and do something to save himself. 

 

The crew pried the door open as soon as they pulled off the road and found a tool that would work. They found Tyler slumped to the floor, face down and pants around his thighs. Mark couldn’t help himself.

  
“Josh, you didn’t tell me you two were back together?”


	27. Chapter 27

The crew had been eating McDonald’s and Taco Bell for weeks and they were all a little sick of the grease. 

 

“Popeyes?” Mark offered and earned himself a groan from everyone that heard. Nobody seemed to want anything fast and easy.

 

“What about we like, actually go someplace nice?” Tyler offered, looking around at the crew. There weren’t any objections. 

 

“Yeah,” Josh agreed, a smile on his face, “We could go somewhere fancy.”

 

So they did. It was some high end restaurant that had a five hour waiting list. The boys were just excited to try something new. When they walked in they realized they were severely underdressed. The server looked at Josh’s ripped jeans and the beanie on Tyler’s head like they were homeless. Tyler leaned over to Mark and scoffed jokingly.

 

“Haven’t they heard of us? No good taste in music here,” he said and Mark nodded along with him. They were walked to a table and they all looked around, laughing at the stares and the people who all looks far too fancy, far too uncomfortable. The boys were having a good time, they didn’t even feel out of place.

 

A waiter took their drink orders and Josh tried asking for a Pepsi. The waiter looked highly unimpressed, staring at him like he was speaking an entirely different language.

 

“Uh, maybe just a water?” Josh said, laughing out of embarrassment as the waiter wrote it down. The rest agreed and got the same thing.

 

The waiter came back and asked for their dinner orders. They all stared at the menu and none of them understood the words written. 

 

“What’s the special?” Mark finally asked, looking up to the waiter who let out a soft sigh. 

 

“Our special for the night is our expertly prepared fugu sashimi alongside our pickled ginger and freshly grated wasabi,” he said, looking at the group of friends. They returned the waiter with confused stares.

  
“And fugu sashimi is,” Mark started, rolling his hand through the air as he waited for an explanation.

 

“Pufferfish,” the waiter stated blandly. 

 

Mark and Tyler asked for the special while Josh and Michael went for frog legs. 

 

They talked quietly while they waited, the waiter coming out later with plates and small portions of food. 

 

“Maybe we’ll get McDonald’s after this,” Josh said quietly, staring down at his food. They all nodded and shrugged.

 

“Fugu sashimi is poisonous unless prepared correctly, our chef has prepared this dish hundreds of times. You will feel a tingling on your lips but that is completely normal.”

 

Tyler stared down at the food with wide eyes, not sure if he was sure about eating the food.

 

“You eat it first,” Tyler said, pouting as he looked over at Mark. He shrugged and looked down at the food, picking up chopsticks and bringing it to his lips. He took a bite and frowned.

 

“He wasn’t kidding about the lips thing,” Mark said, chewing and swallowing. He gave another shrug as he looked over at Tyler.

 

Tyler sighed and picked up his own chopsticks, bringing the food to his lips. It felt like a vibrating toothbrush on his lips. The food didn’t even taste bad. Fishy, obviously, but not bad. He swallowed the bite and ate the rest of it, talking with his friends as they all finished their own food. 

 

The waiter came back some time later and handed them the check. They all chipped in to pay for their plate, laughing and getting up to leave. Tyler tried to follow them but he got halfway up before he crashed back into his chair. They all turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Dude, lets go,” Josh said, rolling his eyes and turning to walk out of the restaurant. Mark stood by Tyler and stared at him.

 

“You okay?” Mark asked, a hand resting on Tyler’s shoulder.

 

“‘M f-fine, ‘s oka-ay,” Tyler slurred, his head lolling to the side. He felt incapable of moving his own arms. Mark was worried now, crouching down and trying to meet Tyler’s eyes. He seemed distant and far off though.

 

“Can you move, Tyler?” Mark asked, his hands flitting over Tyler’s shoulders and chest, not sure what he should be doing.

 

“C-can’t,” he paused, looking confused as he struggled to breathe, “m-move, can’t,” he gasped. It was a shuddering movement that looked painful.

 

“C-cant breathe,” he got out finally, his eyes still distant but now panicked. 

 

Mark stood up quickly and saw that nobody was even so much as paying attention to them.

 

“Jesus,” he yelled, getting the attention of anyone in the nearby area, “Call an ambulance or something, he’s dying.” People jumped as they searched through pockets and purses for a phone. Mark turned back to Tyler and saw his face blue and his chest still. He crouched back down and took Tyler’s hand, hoping that the ambulance would be quick, that they could help. 

  
Tyler’s body was rigid as it fell to the side, his eyes still open but there wasn’t panic in them anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is actually a legit thing. if fugu isn't prepared right then it's extremely poisonous. granted, most chefs train for 3 years before they're certified to make this dish but ya know. its a legit thing


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so before you read, remember this: this is a legit way somebody died. this literally happened. i mean, i altered it slightly to make it easier to write out but like, it was legit

“Dude, just do it,” they all said, staring at Mark expectantly. He had the cup in his hand, sniffing it and wrinkling his nose.

 

“Why would you ever dare someone to do this?” He asked a little helplessly. Michael laughed, wiping at his eyes from the tears that had fallen. He’d dared Mark to drink whatever concoction that they produced. They put in various drinks and liquids that made them feel sick just thinking about.

 

“One sip,” Michael said, letting Mark off a little easy since it was pretty disgusting. He sighed again and looked down at the cup.

 

“One sip,” he said to himself as encouragement. He brought the cup to his lips and took in a mouthful. He swallowed it as quickly as he could but the taste was still in his mouth and God, was it awful. He ran to the sink, bending over as the threat to vomit rose high in his throat. He gagged a few times before he was able to chug some water and get rid of the taste. He sat back down on the couch, ignoring the guys laughing around him.

 

“Okay, Mark, pick someone,” Tyler said quietly and Mark turned to glare at him.

 

“I am grieving the loss of all my taste buds and you are interrupting me. You know what? I choose you, Tyler, you’re getting dared,” Mark said, folding his arms over his chest.

 

“Be creative, your last one was so lame. Lick the floor? Like we don’t do that all the time anyway,” Tyler said, knowing this would be his demise. He had such a weak stomach, he’d surely throw up. Mark thought for a long time before he smirked. 

 

“Alright, since we’re parked for the night. Go to McDonald’s in the drive through and order ten burgers because I’m hungry and twenty fries,” he said and Tyler raised an eyebrow.

 

“Like that’s hard,” Tyler scoffed, rolling his eyes. Mark huffed and held a finger up. 

 

“I wasn’t done. When they give you the fries, shove as many up your nose as possible and then look at them and say woogleboogle.” Tyler stared at Mark like he was crazy.

 

“Woogleboogle?” He asked and Mark nodded. 

 

They all piled into the van that still followed them and drove to the nearest McDonald’s. Tyler was suddenly nervous as he pulled up to the box.

 

_ “Can I take your order?”  _ The voice asked and Tyler looked back to Mark who was in the passenger seat. He nodded his head at the box and smirked. Josh and Michael were a mess of laughter in the backseat.

 

“Uh, could I get ten burgers and twenty small fries?” He asked hesitantly. There was a long pause before his order showed up on the screen. The voice gave him the total and he pulled forward to the window. He paid and waited for his order, watching as they shoveled more fries into their cartons. 

 

“Oh God, Mark, they had to make more,” Tyler whined, covering his face with his hands to hide his red cheeks. It only made the laughter in the car louder. 

 

The lady came back with three bags in her hands, handing them over awkwardly. She peaked in the window, trying to figure out how many people were planning on eating the food. Tyler handed two of the bags to Mark and kept one on his lap. The lady looked at him expectantly, expecting him to drive away by now. 

 

Tyler sighed and stuck his hands into the bag, pulling out fries and shoving them ungracefully up his nose. It was an unpleasant sensation and he really hated how the other two workers now gravitated to the window and were staring at him. He wondered if any of them knew his band. 

 

He had far too many french fries up his nose and he stopped, pushing the bag onto Mark’s lap. He looked over at the workers, his face completely serious.

 

“Woogleboogle,” he said before Josh laughed loudly, hitting Tyler’s arm.

 

“Go, go, go,” he said loudly and Tyler drove quickly, wanting out of the parking lot and away from any McDonald’s ever. They were all laughing now, even Tyler as they sped down the freeway towards where the buses were parked. Tyler still had fries shoved in his nose.

 

“Oh, God, this feels so weird,” Tyler whined, trying to snort the fries out of his nose and keep his eyes on the road. A sneeze built up and he couldn’t help it.

 

He sneezed loudly, his eyes squeezing closed and his body jerking with the effort to get the foreign object out of his nose. His hands jerked the steering wheel without meaning to, the van swerving off the road. Laughter turned into screams. Tyler opened his eyes long enough to see the tree that he slammed into. 

 

Groans erupted from the van and sirens were loud in their ears. 

 

“Guys?” Josh asked, his voice hoarse and the noise hurting his intense headache. He felt Michael tap his leg and was relieved to know he was okay.

 

“Shit,” Mark said weakly from the front seat. 

  
They looked to the driver's seat and saw Tyler slumped over the steering wheel, the airbag deflated. Tyler’s face was cut up and his mouth was hanging open. There was blood all over his face and shirt, the seat getting stained. They knew that the stain was the least of their worries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone literally ordered 10 burgers and 20 fries and shoved them up their nose and said woogleboogle and then died


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is based off of personal experience

They had a free day and the crew had decided on going canoeing on the Platte river. Tyler and Josh would have gone on the trip but something about losing their glasses and Josh’s arms were already sore from playing the drums. He didn’t feel like canoeing or kayaking would make him any less sore. So they’d opted for trying something new.

 

“I heard you can rent jet skis,” Tyler suggested one day, sitting down in the grass and pulling it up with his fingers. Josh was leaning on his hands next to him.

 

“Sounds fun, where at?” Tyler shrugged and pulled his phone out, cringing at the weak signal.

 

“I know someone who used to work down at Crystal Lake, might be able to get a discount out of it. It’s practically in Lake Michigan,” he said, showing Josh their webpage and the pricing for a jetski. 

 

“Two hours gonna be enough?” Josh asked and Tyler nodded.

 

“Heard your ass starts to hurt after awhile cause when you hit waves and stuff. Four hours seems like too long for a first timer,” he said and they agreed to go while everyone else was canoeing. 

 

They were excited, laughing to each other as they hopped on, trying to get their balance as the jet ski rocked back and forth while they got settled. The worker explained how it ran and put the safety bracelet on Tyler’s wrist since he was driving.

 

“If you fall off then the line will disconnect and it’ll automatically shut the engine off so that it won't stray too far,” he said and Tyler nodded, revving the engine once as a grin spread on his face. Josh’s eyes went wide and he wrapped his arms tight around Tyler, burying his head into his shoulder.

 

“Don’t go too fast,” Josh whined, almost squeezing the life out of Tyler. 

 

“What’s the fun in that?” Tyler asked, idling the jet ski until they’d gotten out of the sand bar. He revved the engine slowly, still nervous as they gained speed. They hit a wave and then crashed back down onto the water. Tyler’s eyes were wide and he let go of the handle, staring down at it. He was shocked that they’d practically flown. 

 

“Holy shit,” he said quietly, the grin breaking out again and he pulled the handle, revving the engine to full throttle. It stalled for a second before they took off, barely even touching the water with how fast they were going. It hit the waves just enough to have them skipping over the top. Their legs were subject to the spray of water that had them shivering in the wind. 

 

The sky was gray now, a slow wind that created more waves for them to ride over. It had been sunny when they started. 

 

Tyler didn’t let up on the gas, flying over the water and laughing his head off. The jet ski hit the water differently and it rocked the entire thing roughly. Josh’s hands slipped and he was scratching desperately at Tyler’s life jacket, trying and trying to hang on. They hit another wave and that was it for Josh. He was flung off the back end of the jetski and Tyler stopped, looking back at where Josh was rolling in the water. He let out a groan as Tyler circled back slowly.

 

“Dude, that hurt so bad,” he said, swimming up and hanging onto the edge of the jet ski. He tried lifting himself back on but it rocked with his weight and he kept slipping back into the water. Tyler shifted backwards and reached out to help Josh. He laughed as Josh fell on top of the seat, panting at the effort it had taken. 

 

“Holy shit,” Josh whispered but he didn’t ask to go back. In fact, he even agreed to drive the thing himself. They switched places carefully and Tyler explained how to run it. He clung to Josh and laughed as Josh hesitantly pulled on the gas, the jet ski lurching forward. 

 

He didn’t drive it long, nervous that he’d be the one to flip them and be back in the water. Tyler laughed and took back over, sitting in the front while Josh sat in the back. They were flying over the water again, both of them laughing hysterically.

 

“Tyler, the marina said to go to the south side of the lake, less waves and stuff,” Josh yelled into Tyler’s ear. Tyler nodded his head. They had been parallel to the waves, making it easy to go fast without hurting themselves too much. Tyler turned a little too sharp and hit a wave wrong. It rocked the jetski and flung Josh off. 

 

Josh clung as best he could to Tyler, only succeeding in pulling Tyler off too. Tyler hit the water with a slap, his skin stinging and his swim trunks riding up into places that nobody should ever feel. He was tumbling under the water, wanting to scream out in pain but needing to hold his breath. He finally resurfaced from the water and spluttered for a moment, wiping the water out of his eyes to find the jetski that stalled a few feet away from them. 

 

“Josh, I’m gonna go get it,” he called before he took off swimming. Really, it wouldn’t have been that long of a swim from where the jet ski was to where Tyler had fallen off but the gray skies and the wind had picked up. Tyler was swimming as hard as he could, his lungs aching as he tried to get to it. The engine was off but the waves were stronger than Tyler. 

 

He stopped swimming and looked up, seeing the jetski was farther away from them than when they’d started. He wasn’t a weak swimmer but he was no match for the wind. Tyler tried anyway, swimming and swimming until he couldn’t breathe. The life jacket was constricting his chest and he could feel the anxiety attacked edging closer and closer. He had swam for a long time, guessing about maybe twenty minutes before he stopped. He couldn’t hear Josh anymore.

 

The jet ski was too far away and he couldn’t reach it. He turned around and the waves were too big, he couldn’t even see Josh anymore. He really started to panic then.

 

“Josh?” He yelled, straining his neck to try and see over the waves. He caught sight of a tiny bit of pink hair. He let out a breath when he saw it. Josh yelled something back that was unintelligible. It seemed like Josh was panicking just as badly. Tyler felt like he might even be crying.

 

“Josh, it’s okay! Just start swimming to me,” Tyler yelled, swimming back towards Josh. He heard something being screamed at him but he still couldn’t understand.

 

“Stop fucking with me!” Josh yelled, the first thing Tyler actually understood.

 

“Josh, Jesus, just swim towards me,” he yelled and they argued back and forth until they crashed into each other. Josh clung to Tyler, his breathing ragged from effort and his anxiety attack.

 

“I thought you were trying to make me swim to the jetski myself, I thought you were being an asshole,” Josh rambled, taking in deep breaths to calm down now that Tyler was back with him.

  
“No, no, not being an asshole. I knew you were freaking out. I wasn’t gonna be able to beat the waves so I decided to just swim back to you. It’s a long ways to shore,” he said with a smile and they laughed off the anxiety that was compressing both of their chests. 

 

They floated in the middle of the lake, making jokes about imminent death.

 

“Ya know, I thought that by being a drummer then I wouldn’t ever die at sea,” Josh joked and Tyler started laughing, head tipped back. A wave came up and dumped water into Tyler’s mouth until he was choking on it. Josh laughed as he struggled and they continued laughing. Tyler spun in circles, looking for options to get them out of the water and back on their jet ski.

 

“Maybe we could swim to shore and walk to go find it?” He asked and Josh shook his head. 

 

“Dude, that would be a long walk,” Josh said. They both frowned and looked, watching as all the other watercrafts were on the opposite side of the lake. They saw a boat that was coming closer, noticing the jet ski that was floating without a passenger. Josh pointed, getting Tyler’s attention.

 

“Hey, hey! Over here,” Josh yelled, waving his arms in the air. The boat pointed towards them and started driving closer. Josh grinned and turned to Tyler. 

 

“See, told you my bright ass hair would come in handy,” Josh said, running his hands through his pink hair that was flattened over his head and forehead. It still stood out brightly against the dark water they were stuck in. 

 

The boat came closer and closer and they kept waiting for the boat to turn but it wasn’t making like it would. 

 

“You think we need to move?” Tyler asked, wide eyed as they watched the boat grow taller and taller. It started to turn, intending on making a circle around the boys. But as it turned out, Tyler’s dark hair blended into the water from above and they never once noticed him. The front of the boat smacked Tyler in the head, shoving him underwater. Josh was more concerned about drowning rather than the sickening sound of bone on metal or the sickening way that the water looked a tiny bit red. 

 

There wasn’t really a way to describe the sound or the way that the body looked as it floated back up. The head had long gashes in it, the skull damaged and peeking through the blood. 

 

“Hey, man, do you need any help?” Someone from up on the boat asked. Josh tore his eyes away from where Tyler was slowly floating away in the waves. 

  
“Uh,” Josh said intelligently, shocked at what he’d just witnessed. It seemed like nobody on the boat even knew that Josh didn’t start alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like, 99% of this story actually happened to me. if you want the story for that then you can message me on kik @shrekkt or tumblr @harambetyler
> 
> in which i am tyler and my sister is josh


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off of personal experience

They had started it as a joke. It had been awhile since they’d uploaded a video or music video. There was always that lag in between albums and tours where there was this empty space. Typically they lose subscribers and followers during this time but Tyler swears it doesn’t bother him.

 

So Tyler was always coming up with ideas of things they could do and Mark was usually pretty willing. They laughed over ideas and then filmed them. Most of the videos got scrapped because it was just Tyler laughing uncontrollably while whoever he was with was trying to stay serious.  

 

“What if we did a recording of Kitchen Sink but this time, we do it in a kitchen sink?” Tyler said and Mark just raised his eyebrows.

  
“That sounds stupid, let’s do it,” Mark said with a smile. 

 

They filmed it while they were in between their American tour and their World tour, just because Tyler had a few minutes at home. Zack was all for the idea, laughing along with Tyler. 

 

They set up in the Joseph’s family kitchen, cleaning the sink out so that it wouldn’t be gross when they sat in it. Mark stood there and watched as the two boys got onto the counter and then into the sink, their legs dangling out. They joked about accidentally turning the water on and Zack threatened it which earned a shout from Tyler.

 

“I swear to God,” Tyler said in between laughs. 

 

They started filming and it only took a few tries, mostly because Tyler kept laughing.

 

Zack did his rap while Tyler beat boxed into his hand, smiling the whole time because of how ridiculous the whole situation was. 

 

“Okay, guys, that should be good,” Mark said finally and Tyler made to get out of the sink, bumping the handle on the sink and turning the water on. Both boys shouted, laps soaked with water as they scrambled to get out and turn it off. Zack put his hands on the edge of the sink, his elbow bumped the switch and the garbage disposal came to life. The sound startled Tyler and his hand slipped on the wet metal. 

 

Mark was in the process of turning off the camera, watching through the lens as he saw blood splatter and Tyler’s face fall slack. There was an awful grinding sound in the air as Tyler’s body leaned into the sink further. 

  
Zack was in shock and forced himself to turn the garbage disposal back off. The grinding sound stopped but the small whimpers that had been smothered by it didn’t. Tyler couldn’t pull what was left of his hand free, bone caught in the blade as he was slowly bleeding out. He was crying, whimpers coming out softly as Zack and Mark hurried to do something. They had the police on the phone and a gentle hand in Tyler’s hair but as soon as they hung up it was quiet in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so my sister and i actually did this. if you want the video then hmu on kik my user is shrekkt


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off personal experience

They had some free time in the Pacific Northwest and they wanted to do something interesting with their time. They saw a flyer for something called the Pole, Pedal, Paddle. It was a race up on Mt. Bachelor, skiing and running and biking and kayaking. They knew they wouldn’t win or anything but it seemed fun, it seemed like something to spend their time doing that was somewhat productive.

 

It started with them running up part of the mountain to where they had left their rented skis and then skiing down. They had to cross country ski part of the way and then bike the rest of the way down. They were running yet again through bend. The last part of the event was the canoeing. They fell into their canoe, panting at the effort they had put out. Josh took the front of the canoe while Tyler had the back.

 

“We’re,” he paused to catch his breath, “Never doing something physical again.” Tyler nodded his agreement. 

 

They were paddling down slowly, far behind the rest of the teams. They were doing it for fun, anyway. 

 

The river was high that year, the water moving quick enough for it to be concerning. There was a small bridge ahead that didn’t leave much room between the arch and the water.

 

“Dude, we’re  gonna have to lay down to get under,” Josh said, angling his paddle so that it wouldn’t catch on the wall as he laid down. Tyler’s paddle got caught on the wall as they went under. He felt the canoe under him keep moving even as he was lifted up, the paddle catching on his neck and locking under his chin. He tried to yell for Josh but the pressure on his neck was too much. 

 

Tyler hooked his feet into the back of the canoe, not wanting to end up in the cold water. The canoe kept pulling Tyler’s body forward and he would have let go any other time but he knew that his back would hit the tip of the canoe and he’d end up backwards in the water. The canoe moved forward in the current and Tyler felt pressure on his neck that was growing and growing.

  
Tyler realized he couldn’t breathe, felt like his throat was caving in. He tried to kick his feet free but his shoe was caught on the lip of the canoe. His efforts made the canoe lurch forward and get Josh’s attention as Tyler’s body went slack.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off personal experience
> 
> the next three chapters are special. welcome to the holy trinity of kink.

It first started on an airplane. 

 

Nobody knew but Tyler had a serious issue with abnormal toilets. He figured it was childhood trauma that really caused this. He remembered that nightmare very vividly.

 

He didn’t like metal toilets, automatic toilets, port-a-potty’s, toilets with black seats (they’re haunted, he swears by it). Anything that was different than that nice white toilet he has at his home.

 

They were sitting on an airplane when the urge to pee hit him and hit him hard. He squirmed in his seat, trying to get the feeling of a full bladder to go away. Josh noticed looking over at him.

 

“You okay?” He whispered, leaning over to bump their shoulders together. Tyler nodded his head.

 

“Yeah,” he said, his voice a little strained, “I’m fine.”

 

Josh didn’t quite believe him but let it drop anyway. 

 

It was another ten minutes before the feeling hit him again and he squirmed, shoving a hand between his legs to try and get the feeling to go away. He felt a hand on his thigh and looked over to see Josh watching him curiously. Josh leaned over and kissed at his neck which only confused Tyler.

 

“Come on, if you were really that horny you could have said something, I don’t mind,” Josh whispered, Tyler could even hear the smirk in his voice. Tyler shook his head and brushed Josh’s hand away.

 

“No, it’s not that. Just need to piss is all,” he said honestly, hating how the word made it worse.

 

“Oh, shit, need me to move?” Josh asked, hands at his waist to unbuckle his seatbelt. Tyler shook his head again.

 

“No, you know how much I hate those toilets, I’ll just wait,” he said quietly and Josh nodded.

 

Tyler managed to hold it the whole way to the next airport and he rushed off the airplane, barely holding himself together. The airport didn’t have any urinals and Tyler cursed under his breath, opening the door and finding metal toilets. He felt brief panic flash through him as he stared at it before he turned and ran from the bathroom, running into two men on his way out. Josh gave him an odd look when he found them in the hall.

 

“That was fast. Wait, you didn’t go, did you?” He asked and Tyler shook his head again, rocking from foot to foot.

 

“Josh, it was metal, you know-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, it bothers you. Come on, let’s go wait at the gate for the rest of the crew,” he said and they walked together.

 

They sat down in a chair when they saw that the flight had been delayed. The time for estimated landing was still an hour out and Tyler felt miserable. They sat there and waited, all while Tyler rocked back and forth, moaning about how bad he needed to go the entire time. The rest of the crew gave him a weird look but didn’t comment when Tyler had to stop walking and cross his legs. At one point he had a hand on his dick, squeezing himself to keep anything from leaking out. Passerbys didn’t like it but Tyler was beyond caring, he was not looking to have an accident in public. It would take minutes before fans knew. 

 

Mark probably would have been the one to post it.

 

They had to wait for a van that would take them to the airport. Tyler kept begging the driver to just go.

 

“Please, dude, can we go? Nobody else is getting on, please,” he tried, feeling like he might actually start crying if they didn’t leave now.

 

“Sir, that older couple is coming this way, I need to see if they’re coming with us,” the driver said right before he got off of the van to go talk to them. Tyler sat back in his seat and groaned, his hands between his legs again. The rest of the crew seemed to find it amusing. 

 

“Could have just gone in the toilet,” Mark tried, shrugging his shoulders impassively when Tyler turned to glare at him. 

 

“Mark, you know I can’t,” he said. Tyler let out another groan as the van rocked with the added weight of more suitcases. Tyler was bumped into as the elderly couple walked past him and Tyler very nearly lost it. 

 

He managed to get off the van and into the hotel lobby, eyeing the sign that said ‘restroom’ like it was God himself. He started walking that way before a worker stopped him, an apologetic smile on his face.

 

“Sorry, sir, our restrooms are out of order,” he said and Tyler thought about going anyway. He thought about dropping his pants and just peeing in the fake tree in the corner but he remembered that he wasn’t just an average citizen and he smiled, walking back over to where Josh was. 

 

There had been a mix up on their rooms, only adding to the time they stood there at the counter. Tyler complained the whole time, earning a few glares from the worker which he returned without a pause. He was acting like a child but he was beyond caring. 

 

Walking to the elevator was slow, the elevator was slow, everything was so slow. Josh fumbled with the keycard, dropping it on the floor and taking his sweet time bending down to pick it up. 

 

His first stop once the door was open was the bathroom. He couldn’t even remember a time when he was a horny teenager that he’d gotten his dick out of his pants that fast. It definitely could have been a world record.

 

The only problem was nothing came out. He was trying and it was bordering on painful and he felt like he was going to pee everywhere but nothing actually came out. He shouted at nothing, hearing footsteps before Josh’s head popped into the bathroom. Tyler knew that Josh was staring.

 

“What, you shy?” Josh asked, a small laugh bubbling up. Tyler turned his hair and glared at his friend.

 

“What? No. Dude, we’ve fucked, why would I be shy?” He asked, biting at his lip as he tried squeezing his muscles, nothing happening yet again.

 

“Are you, like, blocked up?” Josh asked, laughing at the idea of it. Tyler turned around and sat down on the toilet, figuring he might end up being there for awhile and he was tired of standing.

 

“I don’t know, call a doctor or something?” 

 

Josh did, sitting on the bed in the other room, talking back and forth about what they could do.

 

Tyler heard parts of the conversation. 

 

“We don’t have time for a doctor's visit, it’s already late at night and we’ve got work all day tomorrow,” he said and Tyler felt like this was his fault. 

 

Josh came back to the bathroom after he’d hung up. 

 

“They said you might have kidney stones blocking shit,” he said quietly and Tyler looked up then.

 

“They can’t do anything while I’m here?” He asked and Josh shook his head. 

 

“Sometimes they’ll pass naturally and you just gotta wait it out,” he said and Tyler groaned, standing up and pulling his pants back up.

 

“Fine, I’ll just wait it out.”

 

They laid down in bed together. Josh insisting on cuddling so he could help ease some of the pain. He rubbed gently at Tyler’s skin, being careful not to put any pressure on Tyler’s stomach.

 

“Josh,” Tyler whined, a few tears slipping out. Josh had figured it would be a sleepless night but he had been on the brink of sleep just then. 

 

“Yeah?” He asked, letting out a yawn. Tyler squirmed again, trying to get himself comfortable. 

 

“Hurts so bad, Josh, it’s getting worse,” he said, trying to curl in on himself so he could cry but that only made it worse.

 

Josh was at a loss of what to do. He flinched when Tyler cried out, clutching his stomach.

 

“Feels like someone stabbed me,” Tyler cried, the pressure changing. It spread higher, no longer the holyshitgottapee rather than holyshitwhathappened. 

 

Tyler ended up falling asleep after an abnormal amount of painkillers. Josh called the police when he couldn’t wake the next morning. The ambulance showed up and frowned when they couldn’t find a pulse. 

 

“That’s new,” one of them said to the other. They both shrugged as they stared at Tyler’s body. 

  
“Think if we rolled him around we could hear the urine in his abdomen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only difference between me and tyjo is i actually managed to hold it


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off personal experience

They were staying at a small resort in Michigan, cabins lining a small meadow that had trees everywhere. It was a little bit isolated and a lot of fun. It had been a family tradition for well over thirty years and it was about time that Tyler brought Josh along to experience the whole ordeal. 

 

It was wednesday which meant that it was the birthday party for the kids and taco night. 

 

It also meant taco roulette.

 

Taco roulette was a joke that had started up quite a few years back, originally run and now encouraged by Cousin Mike. It was a bunch of tacos that had hidden jalapenos though as the years came, it grew and grew. One year there was the surprise appearance of ghost peppers. Tyler hated that year. 

 

Needless to say, Tyler always participated. 

 

The tray of tacos was set down on the table and everyone participating gathered around, trying to inspect the tacos and find one that was safe. Tyler held one in his hand and waited for the count of three.

 

“We’ve got seven winners this year, alright? One, two, three, eat!” He yelled and everyone took a bite of their tacos. Seven peoples faces scrunched up, not ready for the spice that was in their taco. The rest of the people laughed. Tyler stood there, chewing slowly. His definitely wasn’t spicy but it didn’t taste quite right.

 

“We’ve got our seven jalapenos, where’s Mike’s special?” He asked and Tyler looked up. He took another bite of his taco, trying to pinpoint what exactly was off about his taco.

 

“Special?” Tyler finally asked, not liking the odd glint in his eye.

 

“Tyler, did you get my special taco?” He asked, smirking when Tyler took another bite, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

 

“I-I don’t know,” he said, swallowing down another bite. One of the little cousins ran out of the big cabin with a can in her hand, screeching loudly.

 

“Mommy, why was there dog food in the trash can? Did somebody get a dog? Can I pet it?” The little girl asked and Tyler looked up to see Mike laughing. Realization dawned on Tyler and he looked down at the taco, the meat that was slightly discolored. He realized that he hadn’t been eating taco meat. 

 

“Oh God,” he yelled, dropping the taco as his stomach rolled. He turned to the grass and doubled over as the food found its way back up. Tyler was dizzy after he was done throwing up and he lost his balance, landing in the puddle as family swarmed around him. He threw up again, his body shutting down as his brain focused on dog food. He kept gagging and throwing up, running out of stomach contents and stomach acid until he was dry heaving. He was coughing up mucous and small bits of food. 

 

Family helped him into the big cabin and to the bathroom, letting him gag into the toilet. When he had a second to catch his breath, he wiped at his mouth.

 

“Just, leave me alone?” He asked, hating the worried eyes that didn’t leave him as he bent over the toilet again and throwing up what little stomach acid had been produced. 

 

Josh checked on him that night when nobody had seen any sign of Tyler. 

 

He found him on the bathroom floor, bloody vomit that missed the toilet, dripping down Tyler’s chin and onto his clothes, the floor. Josh felt guilty that he hadn’t stayed and monitored Tyler. He could have helped. 

  
He hated how lifeless Tyler looked on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so anything that has to do with michigan is literally my family. yes, taco roulette is real. we always do the birthday on wednesday. usually it was just spicy foods in the tacos but last year there was a dog food one. yes, someone ate that completely and enjoyed it. also, the falling in the vomit thing literally happened to me. that night was awful. i couldnt stop throwing up and i hated my life. hospital trips for the win.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [let it be known that my little sister gave me this idea. yes, here is the link to her account. not my idea. this was not my idea. i did not wish to do this. it was all on this link, right here, here you go. not. my. fault.](http://archiveofourown.org/users/odetothepantaloon/works)

They had been fooling around in bed on a hotel night. 

 

Josh had his mouth on Tyler’s dick, eagerly sucking at him. Tyler pushed at his head, taking a deep breath at the lack of contact.

 

“We’re always fooling around on the bus, can we do something we haven’t done in awhile?” Tyler asked, biting at his lip as he stared down at Josh. 

 

Josh nodded his head, standing up and pushing Tyler back onto the bed.

 

“Sit on my face,” Tyler said, a smile on his lips when Josh grinned. 

 

“Oh, fuck, yeah,” he said, stripping out of his jeans and his underwear as Tyler laid back on the bed, watching him undress.

 

Josh crawled back up on the bed, legs on either side of Tyler’s hips. 

 

“You sure?” He asked, his heart rate picking up as Tyler nodded.

 

Josh situated himself over Tyler, a small moan coming out as Tyler leaned up and licked at Josh’s hole. It had been a long time since Tyler had ate him out and he forgot how good it felt. He leaned back on his heels, easing the strain on Tyler’s neck. 

 

Tyler kept licking into him, running his hands over Josh’s thighs. 

 

It really wasn’t Josh’s fault, it was a complete accident. 

 

His muscles clenched as he thought he was about to come, but instead, he accidentally shit.

 

Josh yelped when he realized what he’d done. He leaned up on his knees, tears in his eyes from embarrassment. He looked back at Tyler, hating the way he saw brown smearing at his lips and the look in Tyler’s eyes.

 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Josh said, repeating himself over and over until he felt hands running over his back and then down, fingers circling his hole once before one of them pushed in. Josh moaned at the feeling, the shame still overwhelming him.

 

“Stop apologizing,” Tyler whispered and Josh looked back down, slightly calmer than he had been. Tyler pulled his finger out and gave Josh a smile. There wasn’t even a trace of disgust. 

 

“What?” Josh asked, confusion taking over now. Tyler shrugged as best he could.

 

“I don’t know, it was kinda hot, could you do it again?” Tyler asked biting at his lip. There was brown barely on his teeth, on his tongue, and he was asking for more. Josh didn’t know what the shiver was that ran through his body. He thought for a minute before he nodded.

 

“Y-yeah, if you want,” he said quietly, feeling relieved at the way Tyler grinned, grabbing at Josh’s hips to pull him back down before Tyler’s tongue was at his hole again. 

 

It was odd, sitting on Tyler’s face and actively trying to shit but he had been asked so he obliged. Tyler moaned at the first taste, pressing up closer, trying to get more. 

 

Josh almost,  _ almost,  _ hated the fact that he was getting off to the feeling. He grinded down against Tyler’s mouth, earning himself a moan. He had a hand on his cock, jacking himself off quickly, mumbling the whole time about how good Tyler was for him, how good he felt. 

 

Tyler’s fingernails were scratching at Josh’s thighs, leaving long red marks up them. It sent another shiver through Josh and he grinded down again and again, throwing his head back at the feeling that flowed through him. 

 

He only had to pump himself a few more times before he was coming, his thighs shaking with pleasure and his hand slowing down. 

 

“Fuck,” he whispered, falling to the side, unable to keep himself upright.

 

“Want me to jack you off?” Josh asked quietly, rolling over and looking at Tyler. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the brown that was smeared on his cheeks and down his chin. It still felt disgusting to him but he couldn’t deny how good it had felt. He frowned when Tyler didn’t respond.   
  
“Tyler?” He asked, reaching over and rubbing a hand over Tyler’s chest. It didn’t get him a response.

 

In fact, Josh noticed that Tyler’s chest wasn’t even rising and falling. 

 

Josh panicked. He fell out of bed, yanking the sheets with him. He wrapped them around his waist as he dashed out of the room and down the hall to where he knew Mark was staying. He banged on the door frantically, shouting until Mark opened the door, disgruntled at being woken up. 

 

“What do you need?” He asked and Josh was panicking, barely able to get words out.

 

“It’s Tyler,” he finally said and Mark crossed his arms, unimpressed at the explanation. 

 

“Explain what happened or I’m going to sleep,” Mark said and Josh groaned, tears pricking at his eyes.

 

“Fuck, fine. We were fooling around, okay? He offered to eat me out and it’s been awhile and I fucking said okay. I just, fuck, I got carried away, I guess. I thought him scratching at my legs was just him being kinky like usual and I guess I, uh, I suffocated him,” Josh said quickly, looking down at the ground as Mark sighed and stepped out of the room, following Josh down the hall. He figured that he would spare himself having to explain all the details. Mark would see, anyway.

 

“Jesus, Josh, I knew you were thick but come on,” Mark teased and Josh shot him a glare.

 

“This isn’t funny, he’s dead, Mark,” Josh said seriously and Mark rolled his eyes.

 

“Come on, I doubt that. He’s probably just passed out. You always panic so easily,” Mark said. Josh unlocked the door to his room and held it open for Mark but didn’t walk in. He didn’t want to see his best friend on the bed, naked and shit on his face, face falling pale. 

 

“Oh, dude, I guess this is a little shitty,” Mark said, frowning when he noticed that Tyler really wasn’t breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there you have it, the holy trinity of kink


	35. Chapter 35

The interview was a joke. It was his pastor from back home. He was known for doing weird things and while Tyler and Josh faked offense, there were many takes where Tyler was rolling on the floor laughing.

 

“Should we just wait then, for the rest of the guys?” He asked and Tyler was trying his hardest to be serious. Tyler looked over to Josh, nodding his head once.

 

“He thinks there’s more people.”

 

“More people in the band?” Josh asked and the pastor nodded.

 

“Yeah, and there’s-”

 

“There’s just two of us,” Tyler said, his face emotionless even though last take he couldn’t breathe from laughing.

 

“Well, there should be ni- nineteen more?” He asked, counting on his fingers. Tyler looked away, barely missing the camera.

 

“Ah, there it is,” he said.

 

For every other take he’d been sitting down. He’d sat there and joked back and forth but he couldn’t ever stay serious. He couldn’t even stay serious now. He was about to lose it. So he tried something new. He stood up and walked over to the wall, banging his head into the edge of a picture frame that was hanging. It hurt him but he knew that at least the microphone would pick up the sound.

 

He did it again and his hand slipped where he’d grabbed it, pulling the frame towards him and at an angle. He tried slowing down his head right before impact but he couldn’t, the strain too much on his neck. 

 

Tyler smashed his face into the edge of the picture frame. Pain sparked for a second and then everything was black. The pastor sat there, staring at Tyler who fell limp and Josh jumped to his feet, rushing over. There was a long cut down his face. It seemed his nose was broken and pushed in. 

  
“Todd, come back here, he’s fine,” the pastor said, not noticing the blood gushing from Tyler’s head. He was still playing the character and Josh was just sobbing. 


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall knew this was cummin

They’d finished the American leg of their tour and had some time before they started playing again. Tyler wanted to see his family, missed Jenna, missed his mother. He missed all of them. 

 

So, they bought plane tickets. Josh wanted time alone so he bought a ticket to LA, wanted his very own bed and his very own apartment and Tyler bought a ticket back to Columbus. 

 

Tyler sat down on the plane, stretching his legs as best he could. He found it weird to be on a plane and not have Josh beside him. They’d travelled the world together, him and Josh, their crew. They were always by Tyler’s side and he was alone now. It was only for a few weeks before he’d be back with them but it didn’t take away that same feeling of missing them, of wishing for old times. 

 

Tyler closed his eyes as his chest started to ache and the plane took off. 

 

He knew he wouldn’t sleep so he took to looking out the window instead, watching the farmland below. 

 

The ride was rocky. The pilot got on the intercom and explained that it was just turbulence but Tyler hadn’t seen a cloud for miles. He frowned as the plane rocked again, dropping slightly. 

 

He wanted Josh by his side so he had a hand to hold.

 

The plane started falling, Tyler’s stomach in his throat and he was glad that Josh was safe. 

 

The plane was crashing into the ground and Tyler didn’t even have time for a prayer or a last phone call. He thought that his last text to Josh was telling him to stop being a dipcrap. His last thought is he didn’t get to say goodbye. What must Josh think of him now?

 

News covered the crash almost immediately. Every TV channel was playing it by the time Josh got off the plane. He’d pushed through a crowd to see the TV and heard that it was headed to Ohio. Tyler never answered his text.

 

The news said that the plane had faulty parts.

 

Josh threw up on some woman’s shoes. 


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based off (somewhat) personal experience

Tyler would have taken photos of it but his phone didn’t work so well underwater. 

 

Him and Josh had paid for scuba diving lessons one year on a whim. They were bored and had said something about how cool it would be when they had tours in other countries. Well, now they had tours in other countries and it was definitely still cool.

 

There was a scuba shop in Australia and they walked in excitedly, asking if it was possible to rent equipment before they went out. 

 

The boat when out and Tyler felt completely weighed down but it was a welcomed feeling. He hadn’t been in the water in quite awhile and missed it. Josh sat on the boat next to him, looking out at the waves that were flying by. The boat stopped and the man smiled and Tyler pulled his mask on and put his regulator in before he tipped over backwards. There was a slapping sound that was covered as Tyler’s ears were covered by water. He watched another splash happen next to him and then he saw Josh’s eyes, could tell he was grinning. They swam together, exploring the area and the fish.

 

They kept going deeper and deeper. Tyler enjoyed the sounds under water. It was different than being on land. He could his breathing, loud in his ears and constant. He could hear fish chewing on coral and everything was loud. It was distracting. 

 

Tyler checked his gauges and made sure Josh was good too before he kept swimming. 

 

Tyler felt a hand on his arm and looked up to see Josh pointing at something in the distance. He tried to look but his eyes wouldn’t make sense of what he saw. His mind was heavy, heavier than the weights on his chest. He was dizzy and he knew there was a word for this, knew that he should do something but his brain didn’t process.

 

Josh was staring at the shark, a little nervous and a little in awe. 

 

Tyler pulled his mask off to try and see better. He flinched when his eyes stung, the water hurting him. It was cold and he was uncomfortable. He wanted to cry. 

 

Tyler pulled his regulator out to try and tell Josh that he couldn’t see, that something was wrong with his mask. He took in a deep breath and tried to tell Josh that something was wrong with his regulator, too, but nothing came out. He was thrashing and Josh tore his eyes away from the shark, looking at Tyler with wide eyes. Josh looked at his own gauges again and then up at the surface, grabbing onto Tyler’s arm and swimming up slowly. 

 

He surfaced and ripped his own regulator out, staring at his best friend who’s head lolled to the side uselessly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is actually a real thing. the word he was looking for is oxygen narcosis. in scuba diving, it usually happens at about 80 ft or lower, some people experience oxygen narcosis which kinda just gives you a really drunk feeling. some people just get really out of it but some people, this has literally happened, believe that they are a fish and take their regulator out and, ya know. my dad actually experienced oxygen narcosis but he didnt take his regulator out so ,,, ya know,,. but yah, im about to go scuba diving its gonna b lit


	38. Chapter 38

Tyler wasn’t the tallest of guys and he had a hard time getting into the top bunks on the bus. Usually he slept in the middle, right on top of Josh but somebody had stored stuff there and Tyler was tired, he didn’t want to clean up their mess.

 

He dragged the stool out that he kept for this purpose. It was plastic and folded in the middle when it wasn’t being used. It turned out to be useful when they were on tour. 

 

He set it down and stood on his tip-toes, hauling himself up into the bunk. He huffed at the effort and the awkward position. He leaned over the edge and looked down at the stool. He frowned because he hadn’t meant to just leave it there but everyone else was asleep and he had no way to jump down and get it now. Tyler sighed and rolled over. Someone else could deal with it in the morning.

 

He fell asleep quickly, the tour really wearing him out. He tossed in his sleep anyways, rolling from side to side. The bus hit a bump as Tyler rolled and it pushed him out of the bunk. His eyes shot open when he felt that feeling of falling. 

 

His head hit the stool as his body hit the ground and it snapped his neck without much effort. Tyler didn’t even feel any pain. 

 

The next morning Josh was the first to wake and he screamed when he saw Tyler on the floor. Everyone else pulled the covers back on their bunks, blinking their eyes clear to see what had startled Josh so badly. 

 

“Oh, shit. Did we have a falling out, boys?” Mark asked, not quite processing how serious Tyler’s condition was until Josh begged Mark to check.

 

“Why don’t you?” Mark had asked and Josh just laid back and wrapped his arms around myself.

 

“Don’t wanna feel how cold he is.”


	39. Chapter 39

Hotel nights were their favorite. Just for the fact that there was no one there to stop them, to walk in on them and demand they stop. 

 

Tyler was anxious on their ride to the hotel, giving Josh looks the entire time, waiting for him to notice and catch the drift that Tyler was trying to steer him down. He seemed oblivious the whole ride there, the whole time they were checking in, the elevator ride up. Tyler was really trying. He made suggestive comments and soft touches to questionable places, trying to make sure the crew never noticed. They didn’t and neither did Josh.

 

He didn’t notice until the hotel door was closed and Tyler was on his knees, pressing his face into Josh’s hip, his hand rubbing slow circles over Josh’s crotch.

 

“Oh, shit,” Josh mumbled, his hand automatically going to Tyler’s hair. He tugged on it gently, pulling Tyler’s head away from him. Tyler looked up at Josh and pouted, about to ask what the big deal was, why he couldn’t.

 

“Tyler, come on, you can blow me any time. I wanna fuck you. Can’t hardly do that unless we’ve got a room,” he said and Tyler swallowed, standing up and kissing Josh.

 

“Yeah, yeah, definitely.”

 

They fell into bed together, grinding slowly against each other until Tyler was gasping, clutching at Josh’s shirt and whining in his throat.

 

“Please, want you to fuck me, please,” he whispered, over and over, not stopping even when his jeans hit the floor and his boxers were off. He was begging until he couldn’t breathe, two fingers already inside him and rocking slowly. 

 

Everything was slow. Slow kisses and slow fingers. Josh pushed into him slowly and would hardly move. He was trying to enjoy the feeling of Tyler around, trying to make the moment last but Tyler had other plans for that night.

 

“Fuck me slow in the morning,” he whined, trying to roll his hips down but he could only do so much from his back. Josh just raised an eyebrow, stopping his hips from moving. 

 

“And what should we do now?” He asked, running his hands along Tyler’s body. It was all so sweet, so soft, Tyler would end up crying if they kept going.

 

“Want you to be rough, I like it when you are.” Josh’s face grew worried, his fingers trailing up Tyler’s neck, leaving shivers in their wake.

 

“Really? I thought that you said not during tour, so it didn’t affect you on stage?” He asked and Tyler rolled his eyes.

 

“I don’t care, please, please, please,” he begged and Josh let out a sigh before he gave in. He fucked into Tyler roughly, a hand on Tyler’s chest for leverage. Tyler let out a moan, a small smile on his lips. 

 

“Choke me? Please? I’m so close,” Tyler said, looking up at Josh with pleading eyes. Josh had to stop for a moment to catch his breath, more worried about losing it if Tyler was gonna ask for things like that. It wasn’t the first time that they’d messed around with it.

 

“Yeah,” Josh choked out, moving slowly at first before he picked up the pace. He ran his hand up Tyler’s body, over his chest. He let his fingers brush against Tyler’s throat gently, watching his adam’s apple bob before he wrapped his hand around Tyler’s throat, watching as Tyler’s eyes closed again and a small whimper left his mouth. Josh squeezed gently, watching as Tyler’s back arched for a second, a choked moan leaving his mouth. 

 

Josh closed his eyes as he felt his orgasm slowly building, fucking into Tyler harder, loving the way he could feel Tyler’s throat working under his palm, feel the moans vibrate against his fingers. He could feel Tyler squirming around, trying to find his prostate. There were hands on Josh’s back, fingernails raking down his skin that would force him to leave his shirt on, hands pulling at his hair that made him wince but his body shudder as his orgasm drew closer.

 

He felt Tyler’s body arch before he went still. Josh figured he was coming but he couldn’t open his eyes. 

 

He had to let go of Tyler’s throat, resting his hands by Tyler’s head for balance. He was fucking into Tyler rough, chasing his own orgasm like his life depended on it. Tyler wasn’t helping. The angle was off and it was just too little friction for Josh to come. 

 

It dragged out longer and longer, all the way up until Josh was starting to get too sensitive. He came then, stopping as the air left his lungs and his head hung. He couldn’t even moan. Josh realized how long it had been since they’d actually had sex.

 

It felt miles better than a rushed blowjob in the bathroom of some venue. 

 

Josh opened his eyes and realized with a numbing terror that Tyler’s neck was red with his own fingerprints and his face was slack. His eyes were open but emotionless, not even staring at the wall. Josh ran a hand over Tyler’s chest, hoping to feel it rise and fall but he didn’t. His hand shot to his mouth and tears sprung to his eyes at the realization came.

 

Tyler was dead and Josh still had his dick inside of his dead body. 


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO YALL THOUGHT I WAS DONE WITH THIS SHIT? nah fam

Tyler didn’t want to say he was spoiled but he was a little spoiled. Well, he and Josh. 

  
They had gotten so used to green rooms that had food. Sandwiches and chips, drinks for them. This venue had nothing and Tyler hated to be that guy but he was definitely a little annoyed. It had been his idea to suggest skipping lunch at Taco Bell.

 

“Guys, they always have food, we can just eat there,” he had said and he ate his own foot with that. 

 

He sat in the green room, staring at the table, expecting someone to bring something in but he knew he would be disappointed. 

 

“Hey, I saw a vending machine in the hall, if you need,” Mark said, poking his head in the room for a second before he left again, going off to help set up. Tyler looked over to Josh who shrugged, pulling out his wallet. 

 

“I’ve got enough change for both of us,” he offered and Tyler leaned over and kissed Josh’s cheek.

 

“You’re the best friend ever,” he said, standing up and leading the way.

 

They walked down the hallways until they found a set of vending machines. It was all junk food. Small bags of chips, cookies, some fruit snacks. Tyler held his stomach and decided they could feast on this and it wouldn’t be much worse than the other stuff that they’ve had before.

 

“What do you want?” Josh asked and Tyler pointed at the bag of doritos in the top corner.

 

Josh put the money in and punched the buttons and Tyler watched with horror as the machine messed up, the bags getting stuck. It stopped and didn’t even offer to give Josh’s money back. It seemed like that was just Tyler’s luck. He threw a fist at the plastic, watching the machine shake just a little with the force. He yelled and Josh rubbed a hand over Tyler’s arm.

 

“Hey, come on, we’ll just get something else.”

 

Josh tried a different item and the same thing happened. The machine got stuck and this time it was Josh who lashed out and hit the machine. 

 

“What the hell?” He asked, staring at it like that might fix it. Tyler nudged him out of the way, hands grabbing the edges of the machine. He kicked it once, seeing things inside rattle but nothing fell. He looked over to Josh who looked back, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“We just gotta, like, shake it a little,” Tyler said, trying to rock the machine forward and back. He only got it to move a little before Josh moved to the back, helping to rock it. Josh shoved it forward with his shoulder. The machine tipped forward and Tyler caught it. Together, they shook it as best as they could. Josh heard a delighted shout.

 

“Josh, shit, they fell, help me tip it back, its heavy,” Tyler said, his voice straining a little with the effort. 

 

Tyler adjusted his step and his foot slipped, his grip weakening and the machine tipping farther. Josh tried grabbing for it but the sides were smooth and he had nothing to grab onto. 

 

Tyler fell with the machine until it landed on top of him. There was the sound of ribs cracking in the air and a wheezy cough that left Tyler’s mouth. Josh ran around the machine, trying to lift it off of Tyler but he was struggling on his own and couldn’t see anyone else in the hall. Tyler was coughing, blood bubbling up in his mouth as he stared up at Josh, his face so obviously in pain. 

 

The coughing slowed until it stopped but Josh wasn’t going to give up on righting the vending machine. Besides, it had his food in it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for all you who told me to stop: never


	41. Chapter 41

Tyler knew that some places weren’t so accepting of homosexuality as others. In his defense, he really wasn’t gay. 

  
Well, he was a little, especially when it came to Josh, but it wasn’t like they were doing anything particularly gay. Or more than normal.

 

In hindsight, it was a mistake to go to the bar. Tyler and Josh were riding the high of their concert, still feeling bubbly, alive. They could hardly keep their hands off each other. It wasn’t in appropriate or anything, it was all friendly touches. Tyler would lean his forehead on Josh’s arm as he laughed and Josh would wrap an arm around Tyler.

 

They were touching, always touching but for them, it was just friendly. 

 

The bar didn’t seem to think so. They were unaware of the angry stares and the whispers about ‘fags’ the happened behind them. They didn’t notice as a man with a long beard and a potbelly stood and walked towards them. He had a hand on Tyler’s shoulder and yanked him back, away from Josh. Tyler fell off the barstool, landing painfully on his ass. He stared up at the man with wide eyes.

 

“What?” He asked, voice cracking from nervousness. He was standing up, trying to dust himself off.

 

“I said, we don’t like your kind here,” he said and Tyler just frowned, not sure what was meant by that.

 

His mind didn’t even process that they could come across as being together anymore. He thought about if this bar had something against singers, against local bands trying to make a big break. He frowned and looked up at the man.

 

“My kind? I didn’t do anything,” he said and frustration leaked into his tone. It was by far the wrong thing to do, especially when he could smell the alcohol on this man’s breath. He hardly had time to open his mouth to apologize before there was a fist in his face. Josh was jumping to his feet, trying to separate the man from Tyler but he was just as small, just as useless in a bar fight.

 

The others cheered it on as Tyler cowered in on himself, trying to cover his face and body as he felt a fist hit him in the side of his head, his ribs, felt a fist slip under his arms and hit him in his jaw. 

 

Tyler saw the walls and the ceiling and then felt the floor under him. The man didn’t stop and Tyler was sure he could hear Josh yelling, pleading, but he couldn’t be sure. 

 

All he was sure about was the pain and the bruises that were sure to be there come morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 new chapters, what a fucking concept


	42. Chapter 42

Black Friday had never been a huge thing for Tyler. He was never too into shopping but every once in awhile he’d go. Mostly because being in a Walmart at midnight made him feel something. He wasn’t sure what the feeling was but it was strange. It wasn’t a twenty-four hour Walmart which made the whole place feel stranger. The lights were too artificial and there was too many people packed into lines than there should have been.

 

Tyler did admit, though, some of the sales were awesome.

 

He’d intended on taking Josh with him so they could laugh at some of the crazy antics people got into but Josh had come down with the flu. It had made for a shitty Thanksgiving but what could he do about it? 

 

Tyler had had his eye on getting a new TV for their home. They had a break in tour and he had cash to spend. Upgrades did wonders for his productivity. (Funfact: they worsened his productivity). 

 

He didn’t feel the need to run and grab the TV right when the sales dropped. He knew he’d just get trampled by the men wanting to start their mancave. He’d just wait until they had picked through the best stuff and just go for a mediocre but still better than what he owned version. 

 

There were some stuffed animals that had been picked through already, the bins mostly empty by the time he got to them. Tyler didn’t have anyone to give them to but he liked to feel them regardless. They were soft and it was nice to cuddle them to his chest when he felt lonely. He thought about buying one for himself for nights when Josh was out of town or too busy to come to bed when Tyler needed a good cry. A teddy bear would do. 

 

He didn’t find one that screamed ‘take me home, I want to love you’ but he did find one singular bear at the bottom. It held a heart that said  _ get well  _ in pretty letters and he immediately thought of Josh. He smiled and figured he would buy that one instead. Josh wouldn’t mind if tears landed on his bear, right? 

 

Just as he reached in to grab the bear, another hand did too. They held the bear in the middle of the tub, looking up at each other. It was an elderly lady, glaring Tyler down. 

 

“I saw it first,” she said, her voice shaky. The good side of Tyler said to just let her have the bear, there were others and Josh wouldn’t know what he was missing. The bad side of Tyler said rip it from her, that she definitely didn’t see it first and Tyler had already decided on it. The undecided part of Tyler just stood there with a blank look on his face. 

 

“I said, give it to me,” she said, trying to pull on a stern motherly tone that was lost on Tyler. He just shook his head.

 

“No, technically you didn’t,” he said but it was probably the wrong thing to do. She let go of the teddy bear, appalled that somebody would actually call her out on something so trivial. Tyler immediately hugged the bear to his chest, not willing to let it go just for the satisfaction of knowing this lady would spend the rest of her days being salty over some dumb teenager. 

 

He turned to walk away and missed the footsteps behind him. He didn’t miss the sharp pain in his side and then his back, then higher. He tried to grab his back, find the source of what was causing the pain. 

 

Tyler dropped the bear as he dropped to his knees, confusion and pain evident on his face. The old lady grabbed the bear from the floor as she folded up a knife and slipped it into her purse.

 

“I saw it first.”

 

The last thing Tyler saw was the triumphant look on the old woman’s face.


End file.
